Winemaker Notes
This is a medium-bodied Merlot, displaying aromas of maple, dried cherry, violet, and mocha. The palate is velvety smooth with notes of cherry pie, cola, and toasty allspice on the finish.
The fruit forward, easy-drinking qualities of this Merlot make it the perfect wine to pair with any red meat course, Italian entrées and fragrantly spiced roasted or grilled poultry dishes.
Blend: 76% Merlot, 24% Syrah
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
The Sonoma County Merlot is a blend of 76% Merlot and 24% Syrah. Fermented in stainless steel with a three-day cold soak, it is aged for 18 months in a combination of 11% new French oak and some Eastern European oak. The Syrah component takes centre stage, contributing vibrant notes of violets, blackberry, white pepper, and charcuterie, all balanced with spiced plum fruit. Medium- to full-bodied, the wine features nicely layered, elongated, and mineral-rich tannins. While Merlot lovers might find the pronounced Syrah character surprising, it adds depth and complexity to the blend, making it a sumptuous and delicious wine with an underlying freshness. Winemaker Rebecka Deike has created a standout wine, one of the highlights from the Ferrari-Carano lineup. It’s equally enjoyable alone or paired with braised meats, offering a rich and satisfying experience.
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James Suckling
A unique merlot from northern Sonoma County vineyards that incorporates 23% syrah for a spicier, smokier aspect than usual. It’s dark and deep in flavor but still velvety smooth in texture. Light tannins wrap around ripe red cherries, black plums and black pepper on a full, rich body.
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Wine Enthusiast
This clean and focused wine delivers aromas of baked cherry, spiced plum, and flowers on the nose. The palate displays rich tannin, juicy acidity, and flavors of berry coulis, licorice, chopped herbs, and flower petals through the finish.
With generous fruit and supple tannins, Merlot is made in a range of styles from everyday-drinking to world-renowned and age-worthy. Merlot is the dominant variety in the wines from Bordeaux’s Right Bank regions of St. Emilion and Pomerol, where it is often blended with Cabernet Franc to spectacular result. Merlot also frequently shines on its own, particularly in California’s Napa Valley. Somm Secret—As much as Miles derided the variety in the 2004 film, Sideways, his prized 1961 Château Cheval Blanc is actually a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
Home to a diverse array of smaller AVAs with varied microclimates and soil types, Sonoma County has something for every wine lover. Physically twice as large as Napa Valley, the region only produces about half the amount of wine but boasts both tremendous quality and variety. With its laid-back atmosphere and down-to-earth attitude, the wineries of Sonoma are appreciated by wine tourists for their friendliness and approachability. The entire county intends to become a 100% sustainable winegrowing region by 2019.
Sonoma County wines are produced with carefully selected grape varieties to reflect the best attributes of their sites—Dry Creek Valley’s consistent sunshine is ideal for Zinfandel, while the warm Alexander Valley is responsible for rich, voluptuous red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are important throughout the county, most notably in the cooler AVAs of Russian River, Sonoma Coast and Carneros. Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Syrah have also found a firm footing here.