Winemaker Notes
The bouquet of this wine uncovers memories of ripening blackberry fields, berry compote and warm plum clafoutis. The complexity of frothed and aromatic Mexican chocolate, with its cinnamon, nutmeg, rich cocoa butter and nutty flavor is found here also. Wood-grilled meat, mushrooms and other earthy notes accompany the sweet, toasty and supportive oak.
Smooth and round on the entry, the palate is powerful yet supple, imparting an impression of thickness. Tannins build tension across the body in line with a balanced acid profile. Generous fruit carries over from the aroma joined by dried fig, sarsaparilla and a lingering toastiness. Polished and firm on the finish, this wine has many years to unfold.
Tasting host Mike Power offered up this recipe for Sonoma Onion Soup to pair with the 2016 Russian River Pinot. He explains: “My Aunt Peg was the queen of French onion soup. She’d make the beef bone broth from scratch, get the finest Gruyère cheese and use fresh herbs from her garden down the street in Forestville. In her honor, I re-created her recipe and renamed it after the place she loved.” For his effort, and his aunt’s, Mike wins a magnum of this wine.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Herbal and forested in savory elements like rose petal and black tea, this is a gorgeously rich and round red wine, a true showcase of the appellation and sure to please a crowd. Red and black cherry are met by wild strawberry and lush waves of depth.
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.