Winemaker Notes
This vintage, we were fortunate to source 42 percent of our grapes from mature vineyards: Dutton-Cohen, Martinelli Home Ranch and Ritchie are all 35 years old. We then complemented this rich foundation with 33 percent Sauvignon Musque from Crinella, Dutton-Jewell and Meredith Estate. I have promoted the planting of this Bordeaux clone of Sauvignon Blanc, originally called Savagnin musque, for the past two decades and now benefit from the resulting opulent harvest!
We continue to barrel ferment all of this wine in seasoned French oak, 18 percent of which is new. This allows us to intensively stir the lies twice each week during aging, building palate richness and "muscle" along with depth of flavor. The wine is held in barrel for a full six months to allow its complexity to develop.
This wine "struts its stuff' in a sophisticated and stylish fashion. The aroma is floral and mouthwatering, layered with ripe melon, peach and subtle mineral highlights. In the mouth, it is rich and seamlessly well balanced, kicking in a hint of grapefruit, cirrus and pear on the lingering finish.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Smooth and silky, with spicy details of nutmeg and quince joined by pure, ripe honeydew melon and cantaloupe flavors. Pear, lemon zest and apricot notes are elegant, lithe, and wonderfully juicy on the finish.
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.
Capable of a vast array of styles, Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, refreshing variety that equally reflects both terroir and varietal character. Though it can vary depending on where it is grown, a couple of commonalities always exist—namely, zesty acidity and intense aromatics. This variety is of French provenance. Somm Secret—Along with Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc is a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. That green bell pepper aroma that all three varieties share is no coincidence—it comes from a high concentration of pyrazines (herbaceous aromatic compounds) inherent to each member of the family.
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.