Description
Chad Melville works in the western hills of the Santa Ynez Valley; a paradoxical landscape of exceptional cool temperatures - despite being less than 150 miles from Los Angeles! This is down to it's unusual east-west orientation which funnels the cool Pacific winds down the length of the valley. These conditions create incredibly sunny vineyards with every hint of moisture pulled from the surface of the grapes by the wind. The intense concentration, brilliant flavour and harsh, stressful environment creates some of the finest Pinot, Chardonnay and Syrah around. The history of the estate starts in 1989 when grape grower Ron Melville upped sticks and moved from Knight’s Valley in Sonoma down to this property in Santa Ynez. Nowadays run by Ron and his sons Chad & Brent, Chad has taken over most of the winemaking duties. Chad’s philosophy is quite simple – “At the time of harvest, we consider the wines to already be made and strive not to interfere with their natural path.” In other words, oaking is neutral, wines should reflect their vintage and what results in clean, clear, fruit-driven wines. Magnificent. Winemaker’s Notes: “This wine is 100% from our Sta. Rita Hills estate and is a combination of clones 4, 76, 95 and 96, along with Mount Eden, Hanzell, Hudson, Wente and a special Melville selection. Our chardonnay vines were planted in 1997, predominantly on the west side of our estate where we have varying degrees of sand. The west side receives the brunt of brutally cold Pacific ocean-winds and grows in nutrient deficient, well-drained soils, resulting in chardonnay that captures the vibrancy, minerality, and concentrated flavors that are hallmarks of our appellation. Our densely planted vineyard is harvested by hand then gently whole-cluster pressed, cold settled overnight and transferred by gravity to barrel for fermentation in neutral French oak barrels (15+ years old), with zero malolactic and sur lie aging without any lees disturbance. Our chardonnay continues to bring to light that a cold climate with sandy soil delivers another dimension that seems to be lost on the “typical” California chardonnay. The 2023 is austere and full of tension, energy, and depth of fruit. Aromas of citrus blossoms, minerals, oyster brine, salty ocean air, dried honey, and grilled pineapple make way to a palate that is bright, fresh, and electric with concentration that lingers. This wine pairs beautifully alongside grilled swordfish tacos with fresh pineapple salsa and a drizzle of lime crema.”