96-98 Parker Points: 

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.

As a reminder to readers, because it was not harvested before the fires, there will be no Bond Pluribus vineyard produced in 2017. Also, Melbury vineyard’s yields are down to a quarter of a normal year.