Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Medium ruby-purple colored, the 2014 Pinot Noir Coopersmith has a little rubbery reduction to begin, which soon blows off to reveal fragrant raspberry preserves, kirsch and black cherry scents with hints of violets, anise and mossy bark. Medium to full-bodied, it delivers packed black berry and earthy flavors with a firm backbone of grainy tannins and refreshing acid, finishing with a perfumed lift.
Rating: 92+ -
Wine Enthusiast
Tight and youthful, this wine unwinds slowly, in full command of its power and intensity. Compost, wild strawberry and a hit of citrus give life to the generous tannin and oak character, while savory black tea and cocoa flavors provide bite.
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Wine Spectator
Built around rich, dense, blackberry and wild berry notes. Pure and dark, supported by firm, fine-grained tannins that give the flavors traction and dimension. Drink now through 2024.
Merry Edwards Winery was founded in 1997 and produces critically acclaimed terroir-driven Pinot Noirs and Sauvignon Blanc using site-specific viticulture in the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast appellations. Over two decades, Merry assembled a stellar collection of vineyards and with her meticulous attention to detail crafted Pinot Noirs of immense depth, elegant structure and exceptional longevity. Her Sauvignon Blanc is among the most sought after in the world.
Now a Certified California Sustainable Winery, the brand entered a new chapter after Merry’s retirement. Merry’s handpicked successor, Winemaker Heidi von der Mehden, and Winery President Nicole Carter have taken up exactly where Merry left off and will continue to make wines treasured by legions of Merry Edwards’ fans well into the future.
While the Russian River Valley is a large appellation with multiple climate zones and soil types, it is best known for cool-climate varieties, with Pinot Noir as the most celebrated. The grapes benefit from a reliable late afternoon flow of Pacific Ocean fog through the Petaluma Gap and along the Russian River Valley that ensures slow and steady ripening and the preservation of grape acidity. Today many of California’s most highly regarded Pinot Noir vineyards are in the Russian River Valley, along with its sub-appellation, Green Valley.
Historically Russian River Valley Pinot Noirs had bright red fruit and delicate earthy, mineral notes. But changes in viticultural and winemaking practices have led to stylistic changes in some of the region’s wines. Adjustments to canopy management, among other techniques, have resulted in riper fruit and bolder wines as well. These show flavors of black cherry, blackberry, cola, spice and darker, loamy earth tones, accenting traditional Pinot Noir notes of strawberry, raspberry and light cherry.