2009 Melville Pinot Noir Estate

Deep, bright red. Sexy, open-knit raspberry and floral scents, complicated by subtle anise and allspice nuances. Suave, silky and bright, with energetic raspberry and cherry flavors lifted by tangy acidity. Very suave pinot with no rough edges. Fills out with air and shows excellent clarity on the long, intensely perfumed finish.

The 2009 Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills makes for an excellent introduction to the wines of this appellation. It is a wonderfully fresh, vibrant wine graced with exquisite finesse and class. Sweet, floral notes reappear on the finish, adding lift and subtlety. This is classy juice.

The 2009 Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills makes for an excellent introduction to the wines of this appellation. It is a wonderfully fresh, vibrant wine graced with exquisite finesse and class. Sweet, floral notes reappear on the finish, adding lift and subtlety. This is classy juice. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2017. Melville is one of the better known properties in Santa Barbara. The estate makes a wide range of wines under the direction of oenologist Greg Brewer, and also sells fruit to a number of other producers. The 2009 Pinot Noirs in particular are standouts. Brewer vinified the Pinots with one-third whole clusters. The 2010 Chardonnays had only recently been bottled and needed quite a bit of air to blow off some of their reductive qualities. Tel. (805) 735-7030; www.melvillewinery.com