2023 Melville Pinot Noir Estate Sta Rita Hills

Name: 2023 Melville Pinot Noir Estate Sta Rita Hills
Brand: Melville
SKU: MPNSRH23
Price: 44.99 USD
Availability: InStock

A 96-point Sta. Rita Hills estate Pinot — and a genuine cool-climate value.

Retail $60

$44.99

/ bottle

You save $15.01

"The Palate’s Array of Flavors Is Impressive" ~96 Wine Enthusiast
"Bold, Bright and Vivid" ~ 94 James Suckling
"It’s Beautifully Done and Worth A Case Purchase" ~ Jeb Dunnuck
"Best Of All, It's A Fantastic Value" ~ Vinous Media
"Outstanding" 96pt Vintage~ Wine Spectator
Cool-Climate Pinot From Chad Melville
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2023 Melville Pinot Noir Estate Sta Rita Hills

$60

$44.99

/ bottle

You save $15.01

About The Wine

Most California Pinot under $50 either tastes jammy and overripe or thin and forgettable. This is the one I hand people who want the real thing — savory, lifted, alive — without spending three figures.

Melville is a family-owned, 100% estate operation in the Sta. Rita Hills, the cool, fog-raked corner of Santa Barbara County that Chad and Brent Melville helped put on the map when they planted here in the 1990s, before the AVA even existed. They farm organically and make wine with a deliberately light hand: native fermentations, neutral oak, none of the new-barrel makeup that masks lesser fruit. Owner and head winegrower Chad Melville built the reputation on site over cellar tricks, and this Estate bottling is the house calling card — 100% estate fruit, a field blend of more than a dozen Pinot Noir clones, roughly 40% fermented whole-cluster and aged in seasoned French oak.

Here's what matters at the register: the critics keep flagging it as a value. Wine Enthusiast gave it 96 points, Vinous and James Suckling weren't far behind, and more than one review noted you'd be hard-pressed to find better California Pinot at the price. Open it with salmon or a roast chicken tonight. It doesn't need an occasion to earn its keep.

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At A Glance

Varietal:: Pinot Noir
Region:: Santa Barbara
Sub-Appellation:: Sta. Rita Hills
Alcohol:: 13.4%
Size:: 750ml

TASTING NOTES

What's in the Glass

PAIRS WITH: Grilled · Duck · Mushroom Dish · Lamb

Mouthfeel & Acidity

Light Body Full Body

Low Acidity High Acidity

Soft Tannins Firm Tannins

Dry Sweet

100% Pinot Noir, 100% estate fruit from Melville's Sta. Rita Hills vineyards — a field blend of more than a dozen clones. About 40% whole-cluster fermented, the rest gently de-stemmed, then aged sur lie in seasoned (15+ year) French oak.

Expect a lighter, translucent ruby and a nose of pomegranate, red raspberry, and Bing cherry lifted by rose petal, native sage, and orange zest.

The palate is bright and savory — crunchy red fruit, black tea, and a salty, crushed-rock minerality — carried by fine-grained tannins and the kind of taut acidity that makes you reach for a second glass. Drinks beautifully now and into the early 2030s.

CRITIC REVIEWS

What the Critics Said

A lighter hue in the glass, this bottling is fresh while candied on the nose, offering aromas of raspberry and strawberry alongside potpourri and subtle herbs. The palate's array of flavors is impressive, showing tart strawberry, sansho pepper and wild thyme elements. ~ 96 Wine Enthusiast
Bold, bright and vivid, packed with red and black fruit, savory black tea and dried mushroom notes. Fermented with 40% whole clusters and aged in neutral barrels. So floral, fragrant and lively. Moderate tannins and a medium body. Drink or hold. ~ 94 James Suckling

The brilliant 2023 Melville ‘Estate’ Pinot Noir is a brilliant wine from winemaker Chad Melville. A whiff of cola marks the nos alongside deep pomegranate seed, Bing cherry and shades of Mandarin orange rind. Soft and approachable, loaded with dense red fruits and copious salty minerals, it is hard to find a better California Pinot Noir at this price point. Enjoy now and over the next eight years or so. ~ 93 Owen Bargreen
The 2023 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills is a terrific base appellation release, with redcurrants, framboise, peppery herbs, and floral nuances on the nose. Medium-bodied, pure, supple, and well-structured on the palate, it has integrated acidity and ripe, polished tannins. Fermented with 40% whole cluster and aged in neutral wood, it’s beautifully done and worth a case purchase. Drink 2025-2030. ~ 93 Jeb Dunnuck
Creamy berry fruit, leather, tobacco and cedar join together in a seamless package as the 2023 Pinot Noir Estate makes its opening arguments. It delivers much concentration and energy, all wrapped in tingly blood orange acids and flickers of flinty, smoky reduction. The 2023 is deeply complex and perfectly melded together. Best of all, it's a fantastic value. ~ 93 Vinous Media
Tasted just three weeks after its bottling, the 2023 Pinot Noir Estate is already showing beautifully. The nose presents powerful dark fruit and citrus peel aromas with spry energy, notes that are mirrored on the silky, refined palate. It finishes with a lovely balance between saturated fruits and a powdery, subtly drying structure. I look forward to checking back on this after a bit more time in bottle. ~ 92 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Brisk and fresh, with pine and savory notes peeking out from a core of strawberry and raspberry coulis. The finish is light-bodied but sleek. Drink now through 2027. 6,066 cases made. ~ 90 Wine Spectator

THE PRODUCER

Melville

Founded by the Melville family in California’s Sta. Rita Hills, Melville Winery is known for estate-grown Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Syrah that showcase the region’s cool-climate character.

Farming all of its vineyards organically and focusing on minimal-intervention winemaking, Melville produces wines that emphasize purity, balance, and a strong sense of place, helping establish Sta. Rita Hills as one of California’s premier wine regions.