Melville 2021 Pinot Noir "Sandy's Block", Sta. Rita Hills

Named after Chad’s beloved Aunt Sandy, this block is situated on the east side of our estate, to the north of the winery, and is planted on low-nutrient, well-drained sandy soil...which although might be surprising, is an IDEAL environment for this wine. As not much thrives in pure sand (think desert cactus), growing vines in sandy soil requires consistent care and attention from our farming team. The balance we create, along with pinot noir’s tendency to reflect the characteristics of the soil, leads Sandy’s fruit to develop a lifted, delicate and pretty wine with intense notes of a red fruit bouquet. Sandy’s Block includes selections from Calera (Clone 90) and clones 828, 459 and 114, which when grown in sand (in addition to perfumed aromatics) deliver an ethereal and harmonic palate impression. 2021 was a solid growing year, with our vines producing exceptionally high-quality fruit for this vintage. With 50% whole cluster, the fruit fermented with skin and stem contact for about 30 days, followed by eight gentle hours in our basket press, before going into neutral French Oak.