Vintners We Love: Philippe Melka

Philippe Melka studied at the University of Bordeaux and worked in the cellars of Château Haut-Brion and Château Cheval-Blanc.  Since he wasn't raised in a traditional French wine family, he found more opportunities for himself as a young winemaker in the new world, where he worked at Dominus and Ridge Vineyards before opening his consulting business in 1994.  Today, Melka makes some of California's most praised wines, including Bryant Family, Lail Vineyards, Quintessa, and Hundred Acre. His specialty is red, Bordeaux-style blends that accomplish the rare trick of being both big and subtle.

"My style, how I'm recognized," says Melka, "is to show through the wine the site--to respect as much as I can the grape. So every single wine I make will be very different, because every one has a unique site. We should emphasize much more the estate than the winemaker."  In other words, Melka demonstrates a shift of emphasis from star winemaker toward terroir--the French word for every aspect of soil and climate.

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