2013MelvilleVernasPN2013 Melville, Pinot Noir, Verna’s Estate, Santa Barbara County.
The latest and maybe the last Melville Verna’s Pinot Noir is a wonderful and juicy wine with pure Pinot fruit and character, another outstanding value from Chad Melville and winemaker Greg Brewer. The Melville wines only get into neutral barrel, they have partial whole cluster and they are vivid and richly flavored, especially good in 2013 is this Verna’s Pinot Noir, though be sure to also keep an eye out for the 2013 Syrah, both the Verna’s and the Estate as they are super efforts as well. Melville, over the last decade, has established it’s self as one of California’s top family wineries and has solidified the career of Greg Brewer and made him one of America’s most influential and admired winemakers, and these 2013 and 2014 wines show there is no let up and that Melville is still a label to follow. The 2013 Verna’s Pinot starts with wild strawberry, pomegranate, chalk dust, rose petal, minty herb and slate/spice leading to a palate of black cherry, plum and raspberry fruit, plus Asian spice, tea leaf, earth, red peach, a hint of wood, baking spice and sweet fennel. This vintage is medium bodied and well balanced with silky textures, smooth acidity and a good finish, this wine really punches above it’s price, and it should gain with short term aging, best from 2016 to 2021, when it hits it’s sweet spot, this is one of the best under $30 bottles you can find in Pinot, don’t miss it.
($27 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive

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