Winemaker Notes
This 2021 single-vineyard Chardonnay is classic Olivet Lane: bright and luscious. Scents of fresh summer peaches, kiwi, lemon zest, white flowers and lush butterscotch rise from the glass. The bright entry leads to a core of juicy acidity. This wine dances across your palate, with a warm toasty finish featuring accents of yellow stone fruit, cream soda and honeycomb.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A wonderful brightness to this white with honey blossom, lemon character and green melon. Shows tension and brightness. Phenolic texture and firmness. Lots going on. From Wente vines planted in 1975. Drink or hold.
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Jeb Dunnuck
A silver/straw color, the 2021 Chardonnay Olivet Lane comes from a site planted in 1975 and jumps from the glass with aromas of juicy pear, honeysuckle, and lemon confit, and a delicate dewy note. It feels pastoral and springy, with a nuanced texture and medium to full body. it offers the sunny feel of the Russian River, but it adds a dewy herbaceous tone that’s quite appealing. It feels like a great springtime Chardonnay.
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Wine Spectator
This distinctive white offers supple kumquat, tangerine, melon and peach flavors, with a drizzle of wildflower honey, plus details of Marcona almond and white flowers. A note of dried ginger appears on the juicy finish. Drink now. 485 cases made.
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.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
A standout region for its decidedly Californian take on Burgundian varieties, the Russian River Valley is named for the eponymous river that flows through it. While there are warm pockets of the AVA, it is mostly a cool-climate growing region thanks to breezes and fog from the nearby Pacific Ocean.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir reign supreme in Russian River, with the best examples demonstrating a unique combination of richness and restraint. The cool weather makes Russian River an ideal AVA for sparkling wine production, utilizing the aforementioned varieties. Zinfandel also performs exceptionally well here. Within the Russian River Valley lie the smaller appellations of Chalk Hill and Green Valley. The former, farther from the ocean, is relatively warm, with a focus on red and white Bordeaux varieties. The latter is the coolest, foggiest parcel of the Russian River Valley and is responsible for outstanding Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.