ITEM: 136988
UPC: 705105169774
Melville
melville estate sta. rita hills chardonnay 2022 750ml
$39.99
TASTING NOTES
Melville chardonnay continues to blur the line between what a “California Chardonnay” is or is not. Aromatics of clementines and underripe pineapple are followed by a kiss of Pacific Ocean breeze. A harmonious tug-of-war between texture and tension creates a wonderfully balanced wine with mouthwatering notes of pineapple core, Japanese pear, and orange blossoms. The laser-focused acidity and touch of ocean minerals really bring this wine together, creating a long and refreshing finish. Overall, this is an elegant and nuanced chardonnay that showcases the purity of the fruit, restraint, and the unique terroir of Sta. Rita Hills AVA. Enjoy with grilled shrimp or fish and chips!
PRODUCTION NOTES
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).
