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Grenache Rosé, 2008

Orange-pink. Exotically perfumed bouquet of raspberry, peach and flowers. Round and subtly sweet, with fleshy red berry and pit fruit flavors braced by a note of bitter citrus pith. The smooth finish echoes with raspberry. Chad Melville told me that he aged this wine for a bit on viognier skins, which no doubt provided its exotic character. 91 points
Josh Raynolds, International Wine Cellar #147
© International Wine Cellar

The Central Coast’s answer to a full-bodied French Tavel is Samsara’s 2008 Grenache Rose. Aromas of strawberries and cherries along with surprising body, firm acidity, and a hint of tannin are found in this dry, flavorful, well-structured rose. It should drink nicely for 12-18 months. 90 points
Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #184

Syrah, Verna's, 2007

The 2007 Syrah Verna’s Vineyard exhibits a dense black/purple color as well as notes of graphite, charred herbs, black raspberries, blueberries, new saddle leather, and earth. Ripe, full-bodied, rich, beautifully textured, and pure, it should provide plenty of pleasure over the next 6-7 years. 93 points
Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #184

Bright purple. Drop-dead sexy aromas of blackberry, boysenberry and black olive, with sexy Asian spice and floral qualities adding complexity. Deep, focused and spicy, offering vibrant raspberry, cherry compote, allspice and cinnamon flavors, with silky tannins lending support. A nervy spine of minerality adds cut to the long, vibrant, peppery finish. This is a superb value. 93 points
Josh Raynolds, International Wine Cellar #147
© International Wine Cellar

Complex, with a mix of spice, wild berry, blackberry, pepper, tobacco and vegetal sage flavors, full-bodied and balanced, gaining depth and persistence on the finish. Drink now through 2016. 220 cases made. 90 points
James Laube, Wine Spectator

Syrah, Ampelos, 2007

Rich, intense and concentrated,with flavors structured around firm, beefy, peppery wild berry, blackberry, mineral and sage. Bold, full-bodied and slow to unfold, this shows a wonderful core of dense fruit. Drink now through 2017. 92 points
James Laube, Wine Spectator

Opaque purple. The deep, exotically scented bouquet of boysenberry, cherry-cola and oak spices reminded me of a Cote-Rotie from Bonnefond. Lush and creamy in texture, offering sweet red and dark berry flavors and powerful but integrated tannins. Picks up notes of black olive and black pepper with air and finishes with excellent clarity and sweet persistence. This is complex enough to drink right now.
92 points
Josh Raynolds, International Wine Cellar #147
© International Wine Cellar

The 2007 Syrah Ampelos Vineyard offers abundant amounts of black fruits intermixed with notions of roasted herbs, bouquet garni, and charcoal. Also ripe and full-bodied, but not as complex as the Verna’s, it is a backward, tannic effort that will benefit from 1-2 years of cellaring, and will keep for a decade. 91 points
Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #184

Syrah, Melville, 2007

The star of this quartet is the 2007 Syrah Melville Vineyard. It offers gorgeously sweet blueberry and blackberry fruit interwoven with hints of raspberries, tapenade, graphite, and truffles. An underlying minerality is more obvious than in the other two Syrahs, and the full-bodied Melville is substantial in size, richness, and length. It should age nicely for a decade. 94 points
Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #184

Inky ruby. Highly perfumed nose displays aromas of candied red berries, spicecake and incense. The palate displays a deeper dark berry character, along with notes of candied flowers and clove. Offers an intriguing array of high- and low-pitched fruit qualities and finishes with excellent clarity and spicy persistence. 93 points
Josh Raynolds, International Wine Cellar #147
© International Wine Cellar

Rich and complex, with savory herb, beef, spice and dried berry flavors that are intense, full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a long, persistent finish weaving the flavors together. Drink now through 2017. 92 points
James Laube, Wine Spectator

Pinot Noir, Las Hermanas, 2007

Hazy red. Seductively perfumed aromas of wild strawberry, raspberry, dried flowers and white pepper, with a suave, smoky quality gaining strength with air. Deeply pitched red and dark berry flavors are complicated by smoked meat, rose and orange peel, with silky tannins adding support. Impressively fresh yet powerful, with strong finishing sweetness and lingering spice and floral notes. 92 points.
Josh Raynolds, International Wine Cellar #147
© International Wine Cellar

The 2007 Pinot Noir Las Hermanas exhibits a dense ruby/plum, nearly opaque color along with rich, full-bodied notes of blue and black fruits intermixed with notions of charcoal, earth, and spring flowers, good acidity, impressive concentration as well as texture, and a robust yet silky finish. 91 points.
Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #184

An elegant and extremely pure nose that is ripe, fresh and layered with a plum and spice character that complements themedium-weight flavors that are less obviously ripe than the nose, allwrapped in a moderately firm, balanced and dusty finish. This is really quite good and worth your attention. 91/2013+
Allen Meadows, Burghound

Pinot Noir, Turner, 2007

The fruit and glycerin levels may be even more impressive in the 2007 Pinot Noir Turner Vineyard. There are fewer nuances in the aromatics, but the wine offers a beautiful blue and red fruit, incense, forest floor, earth, and spice-scented bouquet. Rich, full-bodied, and opulent, more aromatics should emerge with another year or two of bottle age. 91 points
Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #184

A more elegant and equally fresh nose offers up pure red berry fruit and earth hints that also characterize the slightly less concentrated middle weight flavors that posses even more complexity on the energetic, mouth coating and impressively long finish. A qualitative choice between two excellent wines. 91/2013+
Allen Meadows, Burghound

Deep, bright red. Riper and more powerful than the Las Hermanas, showing blackberry and cherry on the nose along with notes of violet and black tea. More energetic in the mouth, offering rich red and dark berry preserve and bitter cherry flavors and a note of anise. The finish repeats the dark berry note and hangs on with very good tenacity. Fans of masculine pinot will find my score stingy. 90 points
Josh Raynolds, International Wine Cellar #147
© International Wine Cellar

Pinot Noir, Ampelos, 2007

Vivid ruby color. Hypnotic aromas of raspberry and blackberry preserves, cinnamon, potpourri and smoky minerals. Deep, weighty and powerful but energetic, offering fresh red berry and Asian spice flavors, with candied rose and anise notes on the back. Finishes with serious punch and superb clarity. Very spicy and rich pinot. 93 points
Josh Raynolds, International Wine Cellar #147
© International Wine Cellar

This continues the pattern with its expressive nose that is also quite fresh and pure with lightly spiced plum, red pinot and raspberry with a background note of cranberry that precedes suave and cool flavors that possess good mid-palate fat and overall, good to very good balance with the only nit being a noticeable, if subtle, trace of warmth. Be sure to maintain the proper serving temperature. 90/2013+
Allen Meadows, Burghound

Playing it closer to the vest is the outstanding, deep ruby/purple-tinged 2007 Pinot Noir Ampelos Vineyard. Notes of roasted herbs, lavender, black currants, black cherries, and charcoal are accompanied by a deep, structured, layered, impressively endowed, shy Pinot that is loaded with potential. Give it a year or two of cellaring, and enjoy it over the following 8-10 years. 90 points
Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #184


Pinot Noir, Melville, 2006
Very full-bodied and rich, a densely structured wine that's too young to appreciate now. The cherries, raspberries, currants, roasted coconut, mocha frappacino, date nut bread, candied ginger, orange tea and sandalwood box are exotic and almost overpowering, but the wine never loses its tense control. Now through 2012, at least. 94 points
Steve Heimoff, Wine Enthusiast

Pinot Noir, Ampelos, 2006
Partial whole-cluster fermentation gives this wine an earthy, tannic closeness, making it unsuitable for drinking now. But it's extraordinarily rich in cherry and currant fruit, with such a long sweet finish that it has got to be an ager. Try after 2009. 93 points
Steve Heimoff, Wine Enthusiast

Pinot Noir, Turner, 2006
Exotically spicy, with a taste of raspberry and black cherry pastry filling, dates, cassis and clove spice. Very full-bodied, rich and dense, but dry and balanced. A "wow" wine that should improve over the next four to six years. 92 points
Steve Heimoff, Wine Enthusiast

Syrah, Alder Springs, 2006
The star of this portfolio comes from further north in Mendocino rather than from the Central Coast. The 2006 Syrah Alder Springs Vineyard reveals beautiful notes of boysenberries, black raspberries, and sweet cherries as well as tremendous opulence, medium to full body, a seamless integration of acidity, tannin, and alcohol, and a long finish. Consume this beauty over the next 5-6 years. 92 points
Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #177

Syrah, Melville, 2005
Absolutely spectacular, the 2005 Syrah Melville Vineyard shows classic black olive, blackberry, bacon fat, and earthiness with an inky purple color, full-bodied richness, as well as a hint of charcoal. Great intensity matched by equally impressive texture and a multi-dimensional mouthfeel result in a terrific Syrah to drink over the next 5-6 years. 94 points
Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #172

Pinot Noir, Melville, 2005
The outstanding 2005 Pinot Noir Melville Vineyard reveals the blueberry character that seems to come from this vineyard, as well as floral notes. In the mouth, this dark ruby-colored Pinot exhibits beautiful sweetness, round, medium to full-bodied flavors, and excellent acidity, purity, and overall harmony. It will drink well for 5-6 years. 90 points
Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #172

Chad Melville has spread his wings with excellent, deep, rich, superlow production Syrahs and new Pinot.
Anthony Dias Blue's Pocket Guide to Wine

Leaving rural Zimbabwe with the gift of pancakes
Before Chad started Samsara, he spent a few months as a game park cook in southern Africa, learning on the job and teaching his assistant how to make pancakes from scratch. Click here to read the full article.

Breeding ground: Santa Barbara County incubates the next generation of winemakers
Click here to read the full article.

Tomorrow's cult wines
Click here to read the full article.

 

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