2012 Melville Syrah Verna's California Red

2012 Melville Syrah Verna's

Type of Wine	California Red : Whether it's Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah or Zinfandel, Californian red wine producers have a lovely habit of taking a varietal and expressing its essence in a unique, never before seen way. From Napa Valley to the regions south of Los Angeles, there's a red for everyone - and it's never too late to start exploring.
Varietal	Shiraz/Syrah : Something magical occurred when two ancient French grapes procreated and the varietal of Syrah entered the world of winegrowing. The exact time period of its inception is still undetermined; however, the origin of Syrah’s parentage confirms it was birthed in the Rhone Valley. DNA testing performed by UC Davis has indicated that Syrah is the progeny of the varietals Dureza and Mondeuse Blanche, both of Rhone origin. Syrah dominates its native homeland of Northern Rhone and has become one of the most popular grape varietals in the world. Syrah, Shiraz and Petite Sirah have often been confused and misunderstood, some consumers believing them to all be the same grape, while others thinking the opposite. Petite Sirah is actually the offspring of Syrah and Peloursin and though related, is an entirely different grape variety. Its official name is Durif, for the name of the French nurseryman who first propagated the varietal in the 1880s; it is called Petite Sirah in California (due to the resemblance of Syrah, but smaller berries). Syrah and Shiraz are the same grape. Producers in Australia have been labelling Syrah as “Shiraz” since James Busby first introduced the varietal to the continent. The Scottish viticulturist brought Syrah from France to Australia in the middle of the 18th century and labelled the cuttings as “Sycras” and “Ciras,” which may have led to the naming. Most California vintners label their bottlings as Syrah and of course in French style and tradition, the name of the village or area the grape is cultivated dictates the label name. The Syrah grape is at home in Northern Rhone where the climate is cool and the terroir is filled with gravel, schist, limestone, iron, granite and sandy soils. It thrives on rocky, hilly terrain with a southern exposure, due to its need for sunlight. Syrah is a very vigorous grape with a spreading growth habit. The berries are small to medium oval shaped blue-black and tend to shrivel when ripe. Today, Syrah is one of the most popular and widely planted grape varietals in the world, covering almost 190,000 hectares across the earth’s surface. It is the only red grape variety permitted by AOC regulations in the appellations of Hermitage and Cote-Rotie, where it has breathed life into some of the most tremendous wines on the planet. Languedoc-Roussilon has the most surface area planted in France with 43,200 hectares dedicated to Syrah. The varietal is used for blending in Southern Rhone, Provence and even Bordeaux. Syrah has spread worldwide from Australia to California and South Africa to Spain creating the ‘New World’ hype of the varietal. Since the 1990’s, Syrah winegrowing and production has increased exponentially; for example, in 1958 there were a mere 2,000 hectares planted in France. By 2005 that number increased to over 68,000 hectares and today it is well over 70,000. The same holds true for California, Australia and other ‘New World’ producers that have jumped “all in.” World-wide there are approximately 190,000 hectares of Syrah currently being cultivated. The allure of Syrah has taken the world by storm, but is important to note where the hype began. Long before Syrah was being stamped with ‘New World’ or of ‘cult status,’ the tremendous quality of Hermitage was being written about in Thomas Jefferson’s diary. Today, the grape variety can be grown, fashioned, named and enjoyed in a myriad of ways, but the quality of Syrah grape remains the same – incredible.
Country	US : As one of the most prolific and innovative wine regions in the world, America is a joy to explore. Most wine connoisseurs will agree that the nation's finest and most compelling wines are being produced today, which means that we have front-row seats to one of the most inspirational stories in wine history. While other regions tend to focus on specific wine styles and have somewhat strict rules as to which varietals you could grow, areas like California have few such restrictions in place. As a result, creative visionaries behind America's most reputable estates have been able to develop compelling, unique, and innovative styles, with a level of terroir expression that rivals even France's largest giants.
Region	California : With a history of wine production that dates back to the 18th century, California currently sits as one of the world's most prolific and reputable wine regions. With an area as vast as California, you can expect a colorful collage of terroir profiles, a series of microclimates, and micro-environments that give the wine a unique, memorable appeal. The region's produce is far from homogenized in that sense, and it would take you countless hours to sample all of it. While the region boasts scars from the Prohibition era, it went through what can only be described as a viticultural Renaissance sometime after the 1960s. At that point, California went from a port-style, sweet wine region to a versatile and compelling competitor on the world market. Today, no matter which way your taste in wine leans, you can find a new favorite producer among California's most talented. Notable sub-regions include legendary names like Napa Valley and Sonoma County, places that any wine lover would die to visit. California's quintessential warm climate allows for incredibly ripe fruit expressions, a style that provides a stark contrast to Old World-inspired, earthy classics. Even where inspiration was clearly taken from staple French appellations, Californian winemakers put their own unique spin on the wine.

Producer	Melville : Due to the extraordinary vision and decisive nature of one man, Melville wines have come to fruition and have been turning heads since its inception. Ron Melville’s fascination with wine began in 1987 and has since devoted his life to studying viticulture and growing high-quality grapes in Northern California. His love of farming and family has helped in the creation of a brand that has raised the standard for cool-climate single variety wines. Melville was founded in 1989 as a family-owned and operated estate winery with its roots in Sonoma County’s Knights Valley, where Ron Melville grew high quality and greatly sought after grapes, such as Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. At that time, his harvests were sold to renowned producers such as Geyser Peak Winery, Dry Creek Vineyards and Chateau St. Jean. When he and his son made the decision to grow cool-climate varietals in 1996, he moved his family to Lompoc, where they developed 82 acres of vineyards. The vineyards were planted with 16 different clones of Pinot Noir, 6 different clones of Chardonnay and 9 clones of Syrah. Ron Melville recognized the importance of distinguishing this unique area within the valley. As much, he was heavily involved in the creation of the Sta. Rita Hills AVA (American Viticultural Area) which was granted in 2001. Today, Ron and his son Chad uphold Melville’s tradition as one of the most highly-regarded estates in California. Situated amongst the beautiful rolling hills of Western Santa Ynez Valley, Melville now has 120 acres under vine and is dedicated to producing exceptional Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah, grown exclusively in their estate vineyards. Located in the heart of the Santa Rita Hills appellation in Santa Barbara County, Melville’s vineyards are predominantly north/south facing with the vines all vertically shoot positioned with aggressive canopy management to ensure proper ripening and varietal development. The terroir is comprised of soil that is mostly Lompoc dune sand, interspersed with clay, loam and shallow hard pans of Monterey shale. The climate here is significantly impacted by its proximity to the ocean (10 miles) with consistent morning and evening fog. Steady afternoon winds create cooling trends perfectly suited to growing Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Syrah. It also prolongs the growing season, allowing for heightened varietal flavor intensity. The cool climate combined with the calcareous rock and sand help produce grapes with natural acidity and flavor balance. The vineyard is farmed with the utmost care with the goal to nurture the land, vines and fruit in order to maintain the purest forms of each possible. They take a more holistic approach, farming aggressively, yet carefully, which helps encourage the vines to produce small amounts of intensely concentrated fruit. Great emphasis is placed on being an “estate” winery and Melville works exclusively with fruit from vineyards they own and tend to themselves. In doing so, they are able to control all aspects of making and selling their own wine. Their wines are sourced from three separate estate vineyards, Eastside Vineyard, Westside Vineyard and Rancho Nuevo Vineyard. From these sites, they produce several single-vineyard Pinot Noirs, Chardonnays, and Syrah, including St. Rita Hills, Anna’s Block and Donna’s Block (named for his wife).