98

James Suckling

Review Date: 02/2023

So perfumed with red roses and forest floor, plums and bark. Complex. Full- to medium-bodied with very fine tannins and a tangerine, orange zest and berry finish. Raspberries, too. Tangy and extremely long. Attractive now but will age

96

Decanter
Review Date: 02/2024

Generous and pure, bright, giving, and totally charming with plenty of energy through the wine’s fruit density. A real sink your teeth in wine in this vintage. The palate is beautifully precise, offering a spectrum of cranberry, red cherry, pomegranate fruits, and super fragrant Indian spices of curry and cardamom, which appear on the finish, giving the overall impression of a warm and inviting wine. The tannins are very fine-grained and long. Very interconnected. It’s one of the most pleasurable wines in the lineup from the Melbury vineyard off Greenfield Road above St Helena. Soils are of oceanic origins and have fine-quality clay, which has been credited with lending silkiness to wine. (JC)

95

Vinous
Review Date: 12/2023

The 2020 Melbury is dark, dense and quite deep. Today, I find the aromatics muted and not fully expressive. Certainly, the charm and seductive quality I saw in the barrel sample is not present today. Time in the glass brings out the wine’s more sensual character, but the overall profile remains decidedly on the somber side. Burly tannins gradually soften over time. Aeration is essential here. (AG)

94

The Wine Independent
Review Date: 04/2023

The BOND Melbury 2020 has a deep garnet-purple color. It strolls out with confident scents of crme de cassis, blueberry pie, and stewed plums, with hints of aniseed, camphor, and cast-iron pan. The full-bodied palate is bright, crunchy, and refreshing, with a solid backbone of grainy tannins supporting the muscular fruit, finishing with a real skip in its step. (LPB)

92

Jeb Dunnuck
Review Date: 12/2023

Leading off the 2020s from BOND, the 2020 Melbury has red and black fruit including black cherries as well as chocolate and some gravelly earth. Medium-bodied and nicely balanced, this elegant wine is straight and focused, with fine tannins and a clean finish. Drink bottles over the coming decade. (JD)

JR

Jancis Robinson
Review Date: 04/2024

The name Melbury is in homage to a historic area in London, where the estate owners reside much of the year. Situated on the slopes of the Vaca Mountains, Melbury is planted on compacted clay soils that retain moisture in wet years. The 2020 vintage saw arid conditions. Bright, deep ruby. Delicate floral aroma with a violet hint. The tannins are beautifully fine and elegant, melting in a dark blackcurrant core. It is layered and complex, with a dark-chocolate note and fresh, minty finish. It’s so pretty and delicate. 17.5+/20 points (FG)