The brilliant 2013 Melbury ratchets up the level of extract, with an opaque purple color, dense blueberry liqueur-like notes along with white flowers, licorice, and camphor followed by a full-bodied, incredibly seamless, concentrated, multidimensional wine. With its amazing depth and richness, while accessible now, it probably won’t hit its stride for another 5-7 years and last 30-35.

Saturated red-ruby. Sexy floral lift to the pure, highly nuanced aromas of cherry, redcurrant, plum and tobacco, with complicating notes of leather and earth. Plush and fine-grained; elegantly styled but with an intriguing element of wildness and a lightly medicinal aspect. Higher-pitched in the mouth than the 2014 and yet there's an element of silkiness here that reminded me of Merlot. Finishes with substantial dusty, building tannins but thorough ripeness. At once powerful and elegant, this compelling midweight finishes with substantial dusty, building tannins and an impression of perfect ripeness.

Incisive and finely sketched, the 2013 Melbury is super-nuanced throughout. Dark red stone fruits, violets and mint are laced together in a wine that impresses with its finesse, energy and delineation. There is a refreshing quality to the 2013 that simply adds to its alluring personality. With time in the glass, the wine's more powerful side begins to emerge.

A bouquet of red plum, griotte cherry and cedar introduce a vibrant wine framed by crisp tannins and bright acids. From a site to the east of Rutherford characterised by clayey soils, the Melbury is a more ample wine than the Quella not far away, but retains nice cut and definition.