Melville Estate Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir 2024

Melville Estate Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir 2024

Sta Rita Hills

Melville Estate Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir 2024

Sta Rita Hills
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Wine Spectator #10 Wine of the Year 2026

92 points Vinous Media
Drinking window: 2026 - 2034
The 2024 Pinot Noir Estate is a classically built wine that feels very Sta. Rita Hills. Hibiscus, rose petal, tart cherry and spice tones flesh out into a bright, energetic palate. Fine, dusty tannins structure the lively finish. Acids are on the high side, but they’re nicely integrated through and through. This really gains aromatic intensity with time in the glass.

Chad Melville showed a mix of 2024s and recently bottled 2025s at his estate in the Sta. Rita Hills. “Our yields were quite low in 2024. We kind of suspected this from the beginning, but we went into this project with the idea that vines are going to last 50 years; maybe with these climate conditions it’s more like 30. The vines are starting to give up a little bit, which we see in the yields,” Melville said. He continued, “But we actually don’t have crazy vintage variation here.” That statement is duly reflected in these wines, which are quite consistent from year to year. The 2024 Pinot Noirs are a touch lighter than the 2023s and young 2025s, and they show a bit of phenolic edge that does tend to appear in many 2024 Sta. Rita Hills Pinots. That said, the Melville range is solid and full of character. Readers who prefer Pinot Noirs on the more delicate, nuanced side with noticeable whole-cluster influence will find plenty to like here. - Billy Norris September 2026
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