Winemaker Notes
A nose rich in aromas of plum fruit, cherry, and creme caramel. The palate is focused but generous echoing the plum and cherry fruit evident on the nose and broadening its scope to reveal a briar/boysenberry fruit profile showing a bit of the tanginess expected from red fruit and keeping the palate lively. A wonderful balance of earth tones with hints of graphite and mineral that add dimension to the fruit. The tannins are mild and a classic note of cherry stem brings appeal to the finish.
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2018 Cannonball Merlot drinks smoothly on the palate with a pleasing firmness in the finish. TASTING NOTES: This wine brings bold, ripe fruit and black earth to the fore. Enjoy it with a grilled bacon cheeseburger. (Tasted: April 21, 2021, San Francisco, CA)
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.