Winemaker Notes
Generous fruit spills over into the palate. Added to this are flavors of artisanal chocolate-hazelnut spread, fig compote, lingonberries and cocoa powder. The acidity is lively - the mouthfeel is full and juicy - the finish long. Every swirl of the glass reveals more, promising long life for this Pinot Noir, and beckons the sampler to take just one more sip.
Try pairing with a hearty Minestrone stew. Serve with a hunk of whole grain artisan-style bread for dipping. Add a salad of butterleaf lettuce, avocados and mandarin oranges tossed with a creamy, mustard-laced vinaigrette. This makes for a light and healthy early spring dinner.
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
Made from grapes sourced from several sites across the appellation, this shows deft winemaking skill in its velvety, gritty texture and beautiful aromas and flavors of cured meat, rose petal and Asian five spice. Bright acidity lifts the tones of cranberry, rhubarb and mushroom earthiness, with a touch of crushed stone.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Medium ruby-purple colored, the 2015 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley is scented of mulberries, warm red plums and red currants with touches of garrigue, nutmeg, cloves and tilled soil. Medium to full-bodied, the youthful core of crunchy red fruit and earthy layers is well-framed with chewy tannins, and it finishes with a spicy kick.
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.