The Verna's Vineyard Pinot Noir is 100% Estate fruit from Melville's Los Alamos estate. From the press, the wine was transferred directly into barrel (10% new Sirugue French oak, 90% neutral). It's a classic representation of the hands off approach that Melville is famous for. The wine is delicate, soft, and expresses the true essence of the varietal.

On the nose I get pure fruit aromas of wild strawberry, strawberry rhubarb pie, mineral, chalk, and the unmistakable wildness of Pinot Noir from Santa Barbara. The wine shows amazing varietal integrity....

On the palate the purity of fruit continues to shine through as the wine was only aged in neutral oak barrels and is unadulterated. Flavors of red raspberry, strawberry jam, spice, and mineral touch down in a lightly strewn texture that glides across the palate effortlessly. This is Melville at it's best, soft and elegant wine with little or no influence of excessive oak or winemaking technique. It's almost like it's straight from the vineyard into the glass. 90 points


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