From a clay-rich, south-southwest-facing site overlooking Lake Hennessey, the 2019 Melbury boasts a decadent, almost Pomerol-like nose of ripe black cherries. It just oozes lushness from every pore, being full-bodied, rich and supple in the mouth, with a long, plush finish and graceful notes of pine and red cherries.

A barrel sample, the 2018 Melbury sports a deep garnet-purple and sashays out of the glass with bold, gregarious scents of fresh black cherries, mulberries and plums with hints of black currants, cinnamon toast and Sichuan pepper. Medium to full-bodied, elegant and refreshing, it is chock-full of crunchy fruit with compelling mineral accents coming through on the long finish. Melbury vineyard is on Pritchard Hill, overlooking Lake Hennessy.

Melbury vineyard is on Pritchard Hill, overlooking Lake Hennessy. Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2017 Melbury leaps from the glass with exuberant scents of Morello cherries, blackcurrant jelly and mulberries with hints of violets, wild sage and tilled soil. Full-bodied, rich and plush with lovely freshness and finely knit tannins, it finishes with long-lingering, evocative earth nuances.

Overlooking Lake Hennessy up on Pritchard Hill, Melbury vineyard has produced a beautifully elegant and vivacious signature in 2016, which clearly reveals the personality that this incredible site tends to want to give. Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Melbury comes bounding out of the glass with expressive black and red currants notes followed by wild blueberries, warm plums, pencil shavings and wild sage plus wafts of lavender and crushed rocks. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is practically electric with energetic fruit, framed by firm, grainy tannins and invigorating freshness, finishing long and minerally.

Bottled in early 2018, the 2015 Melbury is deep garnet-purple colored with beautiful redcurrant jelly and crème de cassis notes with savory notions of tobacco, black olives and smoked meats plus a waft of lavender. The palate is full-bodied, firm and grainy, with a lively line lifting the perfumed, savory layers, finishing long.