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: 2014 Melville "Estate" Sta. Rita Hills Syrah

2014 Melville "Estate" Sta. Rita Hills Syrah

SKU #1272925 95 points Wine Advocate

Outer quote mark I always love the two blockbuster Syrahs from this estate, both of which need to be sought out by readers. Tons of black olive, smoked and salted meats, as well as ripe dark fruits all emerge from the incredibly polished, elegant and layered 2014 Syrah Estate, which is just an off the hook value. Inky colored, layered, yet graceful and light on its feet, with gorgeous fruit, drink this beauty over the coming 4-5 years, although I wouldn't be surprised to see it evolve for longer. (JD) Inner quote mark (7/2016)

93 points Vinous

Outer quote mark Melville's 2014 Syrah Estate is aromatic and lifted in style, with distinct Pinot inflections, which I suppose is not much of a surprise. Blueberry, lavender, white pepper and menthol are all nicely delineated in this attractive, mid-weight Syrah. The 40% whole clusters are not especially evident, but are felt mostly texturally rather than in the wine's flavor profile. (AG) Inner quote mark (9/2016)

91 points Wine Enthusiast

Outer quote mark There's intriguing precision to the nose of this bottling from Chad Melville and family. A laser-sharp line of tart elderberry, black-plum skins and black-cherry skins cut through the dark earth, tar and purple-flower elements. The palate blends approachable black raspberry, dark strawberry and muddled mulberry fruit with touches of coffee and dark cocoa. (MK) Inner quote mark (12/2016)

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2014 Melville "Estate" Sta. Rita Hills Syrah

Price: $34.99

Quantity:

RP: 95

VN: 93

WE: 91

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Product Reviews:

By: Stephanie Vidales | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 9/23/2016 | Send Email

This Syrah was one of my favorite wines from a recent domestic staff tasting. There is a beautiful marriage of fruit and savory elements that I just love. Smoked meats, cherry cola, chocolate, blackberry and pepper are all present and in great balance. Drinks great now and I would love to see its evolution in a few years as well.

By: Gary Norton | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 9/15/2016 | Send Email

It's a robust, hearty Syrah packed with notes of smoked bacon, coppa, tapenade, capers, black plum, and baking spices. Smoked red meat and cured pork take center stage here, with black fruits and white pepper coming in for support. This could be from St. Joseph and priced at $60+ if I didn't know better. But I do, and it's from Melville, and criminally under-priced at $30 each.

Additional Information:

Varietal:

Shiraz/Syrah

- One of France's noblest black grape varieties, Syrah is known for its intense and distinctive perfume reminiscent of briar fruit, tar, spice and black pepper and its firm structure. One of few black grape varietals frequently vinified on its own, the best examples of Syrah come from the Northern Rhône, particularly Hermitage, but also Côte-Rôtie, Cornas, Crozes-Hermitage and St-Joseph. These wines are very astringent in their youth, though some Crozes-Hermitage and St-Joseph can be enjoyed young, relatively speaking. Given the requisite patience, though, these wines can reveal amazing complexity and secondary fruit characteristics like plum and blackcurrant as well as subtle hints of smoke and flowers. In the Southern Rhône, Syrah is used to add structure and complexity to wines dominated by Grenache and complemented by Mourvèdre, like the more immediately drinkable Côte du Rhônes, as well as the long-lived wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. In recent years, plantings of Syrah have spread throughout the Languedoc-Roussillon where it is produced on its own or blended with other varietals. Outside of France, the most important Syrah growing country is easily Australia, where it is called Shiraz. Quality levels here depend greatly on yields and geography, and the wines range from bold, fruity and easy-drinking to intense and ageable, like the famed Penfolds Grange. Often bottled on its own, in Australia Syrah is also can be blended with Grenache and Mourvèdre, as in the Southern Rhône, and is increasingly combined with Cabernet Sauvignon. Syrah has also been steadily increasing in popularity in California, thanks to a group of advocates called the Rhône Rangers. Its most successful iterations come from the Central and Sonoma Coasts, where winemakers are pushing boundaries and creating some incredible wines. In recent years Syrah has also found a number of proponents in Washington State, which is definitely a region to watch for this variety.

Country:

United States

- When people consider domestic wine, they normally think about the state of California. The fine viticultural Region within California, including the Napa Valley, Sonoma, Santa Cruz Mountains, Mendocino and Santa Barbara, are capable of growing grapes of world-class quality. But there's plenty of fabulous wine coming from other states, too. Oregon, Washington and New York are also causing eyebrows (and glassware) to be raised around the world.

Sub-Region:

California

- With the explosive growth that California's wine industry has seen the past several years, it's easy to view winemaking and grape growing in the Golden State as a recent phenomenon. And while it's true that California's viticultural history is brief compared to several European countries, this state's roots date back well over 200 years. Due to the enormous response to California wine within the United States and worldwide, there are thousands of excellent and diverse wines being produced within the state each year.

Specific Appellation:

Santa Maria/Santa Barbara

- Santa Maria and Santa Ynez make up the two AVAs of Santa Barbara County, an area known for its natural beauty and temperate climate. The best grape-growing areas, however, are located on the very coastal reaches of these two appellations, and are cooled by ever-present fog and ocean breezes (it is even cooler and foggier here than Carneros!). As expected, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir thrive while the more inland zones lay claim to Bordeaux varietals and some Rhône blends.

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