January 2007 Wine Tasting Notes:
2004 Melville Syrah, Estate - Verna's
|
|
This Syrah is a vibrant purple-ruby in the glass. The nose starts with medium intensity white pepper which leads into medium intensity blackberry and black currant aromas backed by light anise, lavender and sweet oak notes. Hints of chocolate and lavender follow. The palate expresses lighter black currant, anise and black pepper. Notes of savory herbs (sage and thyme) and beet root ring distinctly on the back palate. Full bodied, with supple tannins, appropriate acids and big alcohol, this wine has a plush, juicy mouthfeel with a dusty, mineral edge. With time and aeration, this wine opens up with more generous, juicy fruit flavors and develops a sultry black currant character. A medium length finish composed of currant and blackberry ends on an anise note and a bit of heat. |
|
RWB Score: 90 breakdown 15.2% Alcohol $20.00 Retail (from winery); 1049 cases produced |
The cool climate of the Sta. Rita Hills and a hot year come together to make a Syrah with a robust nose of succulent, juicy fruit accented by dark spices and savory notes throughout. Lots of complexity make this a great sipping wine. That complexity will not be lost if this wine is paired with hearty dishes. Enjoy in either setting over the next 5 to 6 years. |
| Detail | Tell a friend about this wine |
More reviews of Melville Wines More on the Santa Barbara County AVA |
100% Estate (Verna's Vineyard) Syrah. 25% whole cluster fermentation. Aged in 10 year old neutral barrels for approximately 12 months, racked and bottle-aged for 12 more months.
Syrah is an ancient variety proven by DNA analysis (in part at U.C. Davis) to be a native of the northern Rhône region of France. Prior to this evidence, its origin was disputed between the Rhône region and that around the Persian city of Shiraz – hence the two names for the grape. Syrah gives tannic and spicy red wines with significant longevity. Because of its weight, it contributes body and structure to blends with the softer, fruitier Grenache and Mourvèdre. It was first planted in California in 1971 from cuttings from the Hermitage appellation in northern Rhône and Australian Shiraz cuttings (which are said by some to be of Hermitage origin themselves). Current reports indicate total California Syrah acreage to be approaching 13,000 acres. The thick-skinned, very darkly pigmented grapes give inky, deep colored wines described as violet or nearly black. Syrah is very tannic, rich, chewy and textured and is typified by high alcohol and a spice-over-fruit character. The latter tends to be more accentuated in cooler climates where the grapes develop a higher skin-to-pulp ratio. Syrah typically shows black (sometimes white) pepper, licorice, clove, thyme and bay leaf as part of its spice component. The dark fruit typically expressed are blueberries, black currants and blackberries. Syrah may also show cedar or sandalwood notes. As with just about all wines, bottle age brings out terroir and cedar, tobacco, earth and leathery notes.
The hot 2004 growing season was one of the shortest in the history of the state. Harvest came two to three weeks earlier than usual, at the start of August. Statewide reports of light to normal yields of excellent quality fruit with superb extraction raised anticipation of the wines to come. However, red wines from this vintage are proving variable by our experience. While this "crop of crops" was lauded as producing highly extracted fruit, some wines have been rather unbalanced while others were stunning an memorable. This seems to depend more on the combination of AVA and vineyard management, rather than winemaking techniques. Each offering from this vintage should be judged individually and not by virtue of vintage alone since the shortened growing season affected different varietals in different AVAs and even vineyards.
Verna’s Vineyard is part of the Melville estate. Businessman, Ron Melville, founded Melville Vineyards in 1989 in Sonoma county. There, he grew Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. In pursuit of great Pinot Noir, Ron developed an 82-acre vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills AVA, where, in 1996, the Melvilles planted Chardonnay and Pinot Noir as well as Viognier and Syrah. Those 82 acres have grown to 139 with a large spectrum of clones of each variety. These are planted on low vigor rootstock in mostly sandy soils with patches of loam and shale-containing soils of the Estate vineyard which enjoys the cool microclimate of the Sta. Rita Hills.
While the estate vineyard is in the Sta. Rita Hills AVA, Verna's Vineyard is in Cat Canyon area in the Los Alamos Valley. Two miles from the town of Los Alamos, 56 of the 100 acre vineyard are planted to Chardonnay, Viognier, Pinot Noir and Syrah with a majority of the vines being Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Laid out on the rolling hills of Cat Canyon, which snakes into the west side of the Solomon Hills, this vineyard is in a particularly cool part of the Los Alamos Valley, receiving cool marine winds. This area was once the ocean floor and once the water receded, the exposed sandy soil remained. Although it incorporated some loam elements over time, the soils here are generally sandy and well draining. Ron's son and vineyard manager, Brent Melville, farms the grapes at Verna's by a "pounds-per-vine" formula to obtain a balance of optimal yield and grape quality.
The winemaker at Melville is Greg Brewer. This French teacher, musician, winemaker and apparent renaissance man (and judging by his writing, a thoughtful man) is also a terroiriste. Brewer gained experience (and no doubt much food for thought) as assistant winemaker to Bruce McGuire at Santa Barbara Winery and as winemaker and general manager at Sunstone Vineyards and Winery. He is also a partner with Steve Clifton in Brewer-Clifton Wines which produces Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Sta. Rita Hills vineyards.
|
5 points |
|
|
Nose |
4 points |
|
Palate |
3 points |
|
Finish |
3 points |
|
Tannins |
5 points |
|
Acidity |
5 points |
|
Alcohol |
4 points |
|
Aging potential |
2 points |
|
Overall quality |
9 points |
Tell a friend about this wine!
Get the buzz:
-
Wine reviews
-
Great stories
-
Interviews
-
Wine education tools
-
New content every month
It's FREE!
Click here
Home | Contact Us | About Us | Feedback | Search | Tell a friend
Copyright © 2007 redwinebuzz.com All rights reserved.