2022 Melville Syrah Estate

All Syrah that was fermented with 65% whole clusters and aged in neutral wood, the 2022 Syrah Sta. Rita Hills is a riper, more sun-kissed expression compared to the 2023. Ripe red and black fruits, leather, sweet spices, and dried flowers all give this an Hermitage-like character, and it's medium-bodied, with a seamless, elegant mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish. I love it today, yet it should cruise for a decade or so. Drink 2025-2035. Chad Melville continues to produce exceptional wines from the estate vineyards in the northern part of Sta. Rita Hills, and this lineup shows he's firing on all cylinders. Since taking over winemaking from Greg Brewer around 2019-2020, Chad has significantly shifted the style, introducing earlier picking dates, lower alcohol levels, and more notable stem inclusion. The results are a much more Burgundian-style Pinot Noir that requires bottle age to show at its best. The Chardonnay program includes three wines with the Clone 76 Inox aged entirely in stainless steel while the others see neutral oak. While the Clone 76 Inox is slightly more expensive, I prefer the classic appellation release in many vintages. The Pinot Noir program is extensive, with five bottlings showing increasing levels of whole cluster fermentation from 40% in the appellation wine up to 80% in Block M. Each single has a distinct character, with Sandy's Block more vibrant, Anna's Block structured and savory, Terraces complete and complex, and Block M potentially the finest Pinot I've tasted from this estate. The 2023s will benefit from short-term cellaring. The Syrahs reviewed here include both 2022 and 2023. The appellation wine sees 65% whole clusters and the Donna's Block is fermented with 100% whole clusters. All wines are aged in neutral oak which, combined with the high percentage of whole clusters, gives these wines a distinctive, Old World-styled profile. This is clearly an estate at the top of its game under Chad's direction.