Sweet Pinot QPR

2008 Melville “Estate-Verna’s” Santa Barbara Pinot Noir

Had this with appetizers at Hawks in Granite Bay last night. Really full, vibrant nose of cherry, raspberry, and spice. Expected a face full of oak, which I too often find with extracted Cali pinots, but was pleased not to smell the Home Depot lumber aisle for a change. The taste is round and nicely balanced, full of fruit, with a floral element at the finish. Rounds out with fine tannins. All in all, a bit primary now, but that’s a good thing, as it will likely be fine for 3-4 years. Again, really well-balanced and meshing well with food right now, which takes a little of the youthful edge off. Now, the QPR angle: just $23 list, found for $20 at K&L! Score! Don’t know what the total production is for this, but worth seeking out for sure.

Melville’s Verna’s bottlings, across the board, are always a great QPR.

Agreed

Just had this too. Couldn’t agree with you more. Nice buy for sure.

Hawks is a nice joint huh?

Always enjoy ourselves there. Probably eaten there 20+ times, consistently good food.

i have gone there twice after playing Granite Bay. also would give the place two thumbs up.

I really like the Pinots from Los Alamos (and Santa Maria). Cool climate like SRH, but it seems less common for them to go after the blockbuster style. And they’re usually cheaper. Sometimes less is more, especially when I want to enjoy the youthful qualities.

Ordered a half case of this from Buckley for $20 each and wish I had bought more (K&L still has it but doesn’t ship to Georgia, grrrr) - spectacularly good for the price, what an enjoyable wine, incredible balance of fruit and earth, and paired perfectly with some orange zest/nutmeg rubbed duck breasts from Ad Hoc at Home.

I just can’t do all that whole cluster Melville likes to do. Maybe I just haven’t had it in a while and I’m working off bad memories.

Granite Bay or Hawks?

Nate, trying to start a tasting group in the area…interested?

Had another bottle of the Verna’s last night. Still great, but for some reason there was heat coming through that I hadn’t noticed before, which prompted me to look at the label - 14.1%? I didn’t realize it was that high. Still a great QPR, but the heat threw this slightly out of balance on this bottle for some reason. I let it breathe about an hour, and drank over another hour or two, but no significant change.

I need to try this again. I had a bottle from 05 and didn’t connect with it, but I am the only person I know who has anything negative to say about Melville wines.

A lot of their pinots can have too much heat for me. Their steel-fermented chard was pretty good the last time I tried it.