We are pleased to announce the release of our 2007 Estate Chardonnays and 2007 Estate Pinot Noirs from our vineyards in the Sta. Rita Hills and at Verna's Vineyard in Los Alamos.

The 2007 vintage in Santa Barbara County will undoubtedly rank as one of the best years and may potentially become the new benchmark as one of California's greatest vintages. The growing season can be best defined as a year where nothing went wrong. The typical hallmarks of fluctuating weather never occurred nor did rain, frost and excessive heat. The year commenced in mid February with harvest not starting until late September (almost a month later than usual). These extra weeks on the vine, from Greg Brewer's perspective, allowed the sugars and pHs (the acidity levels) to all come in perfectly balanced. Greg commented that he had not seen a vintage like this in his last fifteen years where clusters were this even and the finished wines were so healthy, vibrant and flavorful.

As many of you know, we are lucky to grow fruit on this extreme southern portion of the state. The Sta. Rita Hills' location along the coast is a contradiction of place-where a cold, almost inhospitable climate meets sunny southern California. Stretching over 90 miles from the Gaviota coast in the south, past Point Conception and on to Point Arguello in the north, is an area that reminds us daily of the ocean's power to influence and control our climate. There is not an appellation in California that is so affected by the two ocean points that closely surround it. Cold ocean breezes, blankets of fog, sandy soils and abundant sun create the coldest and longest growing season in California. It is this contradiction of place, where the confluence of a cold climate meets a warm one that allows us to grow such beautiful fruit.

For our chardonnays, the Sta. Rita Hills and Verna's Vineyard deliver very citrusy and pure flavors reminiscent of lemon, lime, minerals and brine. Additionally, as a result of our lengthy growing season, these acidic profiles become more developed and flavorful reminding us of savory, decadent nuances like margaritas and Japanese yuzu sauce. Stylistically this is a slight paradigm shift from what most people typically think of California chardonnay and one that we relish. Furthermore, when you show restraint in the cellar with little new oak and no lees stirring (battonage), these citrusy characteristics become more pronounced, producing wines with verve and weight.

When describing our pinot noirs, we often reference their intriguing juxtaposition of balance between fruit, earth, spice and acidity. With our vineyard now approaching its adolescence, we are reaping not only the benefits of older vines but also from the farming practices and fine-tuning that Ron Melville and his family continue to steadfastly follow. Philosophically in the cellar, we go to great lengths to preserve the integrity of what Mother Nature provides us in a given vintage so the winemaking regime rarely changes. As with the last vintage, the fruit yields in 2007 were small averaging less than 2 tons/acre but with the additional hang time on the vine, this year's pinot noirs have greater color intensity, more flesh and substance than the 2006 wines. It is a vintage that reminds us of a combination of both 2002 and 2004, where fruit intensity and completeness were balanced by elegance and grace; two vintages that are also still aging quite gracefully.

On the vineyard front, Melville has expanded our holdings in the Sta. Rita Hills by leasing thirty-six acres directly across the street from the winery. Because of the challenges of growing fruit in this appellation, our goal is to stabilize our production and try to reduce the vagaries of Mother Nature. We also see this as an opportunity to further enhance and expand our estate's clonal diversity by planting additional field selections and clones. For chardonnay we are adding the following: Hanzell, Hudson and Mount Eden; for pinot noir: Merry Edwards 828, Pommard, Calera, Mount Eden, 459 and 943. Chad Melville and the vineyard crew have been working the entire year to get this project completed and we should see the fruits of their labor in 2010. This new block is planted two-thirds to pinot noir and one-third to chardonnay.

Lastly, please find in our newsletter announcements for our limited production 2007 Pinot Noir Clonal Series highlighting Swan Selection, Mount Eden Selection and clone 115. Also please make plans to visit Santa Barbara County this Fall for our Eight Annual Harvest Barbeque.

In closing and on behalf of everyone here at Melville, we cannot thank you enough for your support. None of this would be possible without your endorsement and continued appreciation of our work.

— All of us at Melville Winery