Today we share the brilliant wines of Melville. Chad Melville has been making his namesake winery’s wine now for more than a decade. The wines show plenty of salty character from this incredible estate vineyard that is set on some unique soil types for the region — including some clay soils.
Melville’s 82 acre property produces marvelous, saline-drenched wines with beautiful texture and poise. It all started back in 1996 when the Melville vineyard was first planted by Chad’s father Ron Melville and his brothers. The vineyard was planted to 14 different clones of Pinot Noir and 4 different clones of Chardonnay, as well as Syrah and Viognier. The new wines come from the 2024 vintage that saw slightly more warmth than the ‘23s. Check out the stunning new 2024 Melville ‘Estate’ Pinot Noir (OB, 93) that is another sensational release that packs a punch for under 40 bucks. This wine is a total steal, giving you loads of bright red fruits and salty character. Learn more about this outstanding producer of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah at http://melvillewinery.com Here are the gorgeous new wines by Melville.
2024 Melville ‘Estate’ Chardonnay Each year, Chad Melville and his team is making some of the finest Chardonnay for the price in this region. This 2024 edition comes entirely from their estate vineyard, that has been dry-farmed now for three decades. Freshly cut limes and salted Japanese pear flavors combine with nutmeg dusted macadamia nut on the palate. Showing great length and underlying tension, with good salty and stony nuance, enjoy now and over the next eight plus years to come. Drink 2026-2034- 93
2023 Melville ‘Estate’ Pinot Noir- The 2024 ‘Estate’ Pinot Noir is another killer value from Melville. Once on the nose this offers salted Bing cherry and red raspberry notes alongside wafts of Mandarin orange zest and bergamot accents. The palate is loaded with minerality and salty minerals, with a great melange of red and dark fruits, with cran-cola accents. This shows such great regional typicity. Drink 2026-2034- 93
2023 Melville ‘Sandy’s Block’ Pinot Noir- The 2024 ‘Sandy’s Block’ Pinot Noir comes from this northern location in the estate vineyard named after Chad Melville’s Aunt Sandy. Bright red florals fill the nose alongside loganberry notes and shades of salty soils. The palate is wonderfully salty, offering copious minerals that parade alongside a bright core of red fruits with kumquat zest accents. Already fabulous to enjoy now, enjoy this beauty over the next ten plus years to come. Drink 2026-2036- 94
2024 Melville ‘Terraces’ Pinot Noir- The 2024 ‘Terraces’ Pinot Noir was sourced from a black in the estate vineyard set on clay-rich loam and calcareous shale soils. Right away this entices with potpourri notes on the nose with sous bois, cloves and suggestions of red currants. The palate is beautifully-textured and very nervy, with fabulous damp earth and salty underpinnings that meld with a great core of red and dark fruits. This is seriously fabulous stuff that has only started to hit its stride. Drink 2026-2040- 95
2023 Melville ‘Anna’s Block’ Pinot Noir- The 2024 ‘Block M’ ‘Anna’s Block’ comes vines location in the southern portion of the vineyard which were planted back more than 20 years ago in 2001. This is plump, round and generous on the mouth, despite its translucent color. Opulent guava, wild strawberry and red cherry flavors combine with rocky and salty soils on the palate, as the nerve and salty essence makes your mouth water. A joy to consume now, enjoy now and over the next ten to fifteen years. Drink 2025-200- 96
2023 Melville ‘Block M’ Pinot Noir- The 2024 ‘Block M’ Pinot Noir is a total masterclass by Chad Melville. On the nose this takes on heady dark and red fruits, alongside exotic spices, and purple rose petals, with wet rock undertones. The palate is refined and elegant as this glides throughout the drinking experience, with serious tension and stony/salty terroir. A joy to consume in its bright and heady youth, this will go the distance for two decades. But why wait? Drink 2026-2046- 96
2024 Melville ‘Estate’ Syrah- Another year, another fabulous value, the 2024 Melville ‘Estate’ Syrah shows very impressive flavor and aromatic range in the glass. This immediately gratifies with wafts of black truffle, Hoisin sauce and smoked pork shoulder notes that all take shape in the glass. The palate is mineral-laden with terrific freshness and texture, with a black fruit-driven core and plenty of stony/salty accents. Drink 2026-2035- 93
2023 Melville ‘Donna’s Block’ Syrah- The stunning 2023 ‘Donna’s Block’ is a total heavyhitter from this slightly cooler vintage. Soy sauce, charcuterie and shades of smoked brisket all combine with Kalamata olive on the nose. The palate is layered and smooth throughout the drinking experience, with slightly more tension and slightly less weight than the ’22. A total masterclass, enjoy this unique, highly expressive Syrah now and over the next fifteen years. Drink 2026-2041- 96