We’re thrilled to announce that internationally acclaimed Napa-based winemaking consultant Philippe Melka has joined the team at Phantom Creek Estates. Melka will serve as the consulting winemaker for Phantom Creek’s red wine program working closely with winemaker Francis Hutt. Melka’s name is perpetually on the shortlist as among the most respected in the wine industry, thanks to his legendary talent and impressive roster of 100-point winery clients. – Melka’s first and only Canadian winery partnership – is the latest signal of Phantom Creek Estate’s dedication to producing world-class single vineyard Bordeaux-style reds.
“The exceptional talent Philippe brings to Phantom Creek Estates brings us significantly closer to our goal of crafting wines that are among the finest in the world, but that distinctly express the Okanagan Valley terroir,” said Cilley. “We’re thankful to our former consultants, Anne and Cameron Vawter, and plan to maintain a complementary style, but we’re ready to pass the torch to Philippe and Francis.”
Melka has thus been trained and influenced by some of the most notable personalities in the wine business, including Jean-Bernard Delmas and Jean-Philippe Masclef from Haut-Brion, Christian Moueix and Jean-Claude Berrouet from Pétrus, Paul Draper from Ridge, Daniel Baron from Silver Oak, and globetrotting wine consultant Michel Rolland, with whom Melka continues to work on consulting projects. In 1994, Melka returned to Napa full time, and for the past 20 years he has served as winemaking consultant for some of Napa’s most highly regarded properties.