Philippe Melka: An Extraordinary Winemaker

Ed Fitts and Sue Rathbone, owners of Feathered Horse Vineyard were honored to have been selected by Philippe as a client.  Philippe is a sought after winemaker throughout California.  He selects his projects because he is drawn to the soil.  Feathered Horse with its arid rocky hills makes hardy grapes with unique flavors drawn from the volcanic soil above Lake Hennessey.

Philippe Melka is a world-respected winemaker universally known for “finding the voice of the vineyard through its terroir.”

Born and raised in the famous Bordeaux region of France, Philippe graduated with a degree in geology from the University of Bordeaux in 1989. He went on to earn a second degree in enology in 1991, with a specialization in agronomy and vineyard soils.

Philippe has worked at wineries in Europe including: Chateau Haut-Brion and Chateau Petrus in France; and Badia a Coltibuono in Italy and Chittering Estate in Austrailia.  Philippe finally settled in California working at Dominus and Ridge wineries in1994

Winemaker of the Year Honors

Calling it two of his proudest achievements, Philippe was named“Winemaker of the Year” by Food & Wine Magazine in 1995 and by The San Francisco Chronicle in 2003. Of these honors he remarks:

“My style is to show the site through the wine, to respect the grape as much as I can.  So every single wine I make will be very different, because every one has a unique site.  We should emphasize the estate much more than the winemaker.  You have to minimize the technique as much as you can.”

In the close-knit wine community, Melka is credit with returning the focus of winemaking back to terroir. This accomplished by effortlessly blending his natural French influence with gentle harvesting techniques. When combined with extended skin contact, the use of new oak and a keenly developed “American insight” into artisanal farming, Melka’s winemaking is elevated to new heights.

A Love Affair with Wine: The Passion Grows

Much of Philippe’s early life was spent in Bordeaux. One might say that Melka stumbled into his passion for winemaking. He only decided to take a course in wine in his final year of study. This was prompted by a bit of sheer curiosity. However, his love for the process was immediate. He knew from then on that his future lay in the world of wine.

Upon completion of a masters in Agronomy and Enology, which was given under the direction of Professor Sequin, a reputed specialist with regard to terroir, he set out to discover more about wines and the process of winemaking.

In the early 90s (1991-1992), Philippe worked for Dominus, holding positions in vineyard management as well as winemaking. During these years, he split some time -- working harvest at a winemaker in Western Australia (Chittering Estate) and returning to Dominus to study grape maturation and ideal picking times.

Melka’s Winemaking Invokes the Voice, Body and Soul of the Soil

In 1993, Philippe studied soils in Italy at Badia a Coltibuono in Italy as well as the emerging Sangiovese varietal. Well-traveled in his quest for learning, in the spring of this same year, he once again found himself on home (French) soil, joining the J. P. Moueix company in Libourne.

Melka remained there until his return to the Napa Valley in 1994, at which time he devoted himself to winemaking and a continuation of soil studies. A full 15 years later, Philippe is one of the most accomplished and sought after winemakers and viticulturalists in California.

His wineries include a varied range of vineyard sites and soil types. From cool-climate, shallow, volcanic soils to deep, rich, warm-microclimate clay, Melka’s wines invoke the voice, body and soul of the soil, much like that of the winemaker himself.

An innate passion for and curiosity about soil and wine quality can be seen to this day in his work as a viticulturist and winemaker. It is this distinction that sets Philippe Melka’s wines apart from others.

For Philippe, winemaking is a passion shared by his wife Cherie, who has a degree in microbiology from Arizona State University.  Cherie has worked at many of the finest wineries in Naps including her own, Melka Wines which she operates with Philippe.

We look forward to many exciting harvests with the Melka family at our side.

 

Feathered Horse Vineyards Presents
Feathered Horse Cabernet Sauvignon

Produced under the direction of noted winemaker Philippe Melka from
grapes grown in the special terrior high above lake Hennessey.  Feathered Horse is the poetic Romany translation for Gypsy Vanners, a beautiful and rare new breed of horse with striking color, long flowing manes and "feathered" legs.