History
Melville bought the land in 1996, before the appellation existed, to grow cold-climate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah. Greg Brewer joined in 1997 as founding winemaker, designed the winery, made the first vintage in 1999 and stayed through 2015, when Ron's son Chad Melville took over the winemaking he still leads.
The Site
About 120 acres of vines stand where the east-west valley opens to direct Pacific airflow, on Lompoc dune sand cut with clay loam and shallow hardpans of Monterey shale, ground that yields tiny berries and saline wines.
Vines and Blocks
The clonal library is the estate's signature: roughly sixteen Pinot Noir, six Chardonnay and nine Syrah selections planted block by block, long farmed for a whole-cluster, minimal-oak house style that made individual blocks famous.
The Wines
Melville estate wines are Sta. Rita Hills essence at around 25,000 cases: saline, taut, intensely aromatic Pinot and Chardonnay with cool-climate Syrah that rivals both.