2018 MELVILLE CHARDONNAY ESTATE STA. RITA HILLS 750ML

Tasting Notes: Bright sun-gold in color, with vibrant notes of salted apricot, tarragon and grilled Meyer lemon coming through on the nose. Fresh impressions of watermelon rind, fuji apple and jasmine frame a rich and plush mouthfeel on the mid-palate while a crisp streak of acid anchors the wines energetic and focused finish.

This wine is 100% from our Sta. Rita Hills estate and is a combination of clones 4, 76, and 95, along with Mount Eden, Hanzell, Hudson, Wente and Melville selections. Our chardonnay vines were planted in 1997, predominantly on the west side of our estate where we have varying degrees of sand. Because the west side receives the brunt of brutally cold ocean-winds and grows in our nutrient deficient, well-drained soils, we feel our chardonnay always 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. Yields were 3.1 lbs/vine (2.8 tons/acre).

2018 will go down as one of the greatest vintages of the modern age for California Chardonnay.  The richness, balance and depth of flavor in this vintage is what Chardonnay was destined for, rivalling only the elusive white burgundies from France.  Both David Ramey and Paul Hobbs have already put their hats in the ring, saying how it is one of the longest and most even growing seasons they have ever had.  Readers take note, 2018 is a key vintage release.

Today’s offer is coming from dynamo winemaking duo, Greg Brewer and Steve Clifton, and is a ridiculously good Chardonnay for under thirty a bottle. The 2018 Melville Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay got a huge 93pts by Jeb Dunnuck and is off the charts spectacular at the price. The Melville family are pioneers of Santa Rita Hills and were instrumental in the establishment of the AVA in 2001, now recognized as one the finest appellations for cool climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the world. Production is overseen by the dynamic duo of Greg Brewer and Steve Clifton of Brewer Clifton fame, considered the masters of Santa Rita Hills, and pioneers in their own right of single vineyard Chardonnay.  These two gentlemen make some of the best Chardonnay in California, with Greg Brewer just recently awarded Wine Enthusiast’s Winemaker of the Year.  Parker comments that these wines are a hedonistic version of Grand Cru Burgundy and commented on these wines, “Off the charts good…these are some of the greatest values in the world of wine today.” We couldn’t agree more!

Our price on the wine is strong and again this is world class Chardonnay that you never see at our great price. A strong case buy!