Winemaker Notes
The Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir displays a unique and specific regionality. This wine is distinctly coastal, with bright, buoyant acidity that sets it apart from wines made from our warmer sites. It is made to be enjoyed from the time of its release, either with food or as a lovely aperitif. In the 2022 vintage, aromas of rose petals, ripe cherries, blueberries and sandalwood waft from the glass, accompanied by notes of vanilla, cinnamon and plum. The entry is smooth and ripe, with a slightly spicy mouthfeel that is elegant and balanced. This wine finishes long and light on its feet.
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
A true performer: balance, finesse, charisma, and grace. More rose petals and just-ripened cherries than earthy, and lighter on its feet than von der Mehden’s more dramatic selections. But this juicy – almost sweet – beauty is empowered with fine acidity and a long finish of cocoa, plum, and peony.
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James Suckling
A wonderful interplay of brightness and savoriness captures the elegance of wines from the Sonoma Coast. Aromas of crushed red raspberries, sauteed mushrooms and wild blackberries. On the palate there’s red fruit and black pepper, with bright, crunchy acidity and taut tannins. The finish is long, with umami flavors.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2022 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast has a deep red hue and reveals notes of dark stones, black raspberries, pie spice, and pine spice. A decadent red with notes of raspberry preserve and ripe tannins, it has full-bodied richness that toes that line of ripeness but stays fresh. Ripe and opulent all around.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
The 2022 Merry Edwards Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir showcases both elegance and depth. It opens with inviting aromas of fresh garden herbs, sun-warmed stones, dried tobacco leaf, and a subtle touch of oak. A natural match for Liberty Duck Breast with Cherry-Port Reduction, this wine’s finesse and complexity shine alongside rich, savory dishes. (Tasted: March 16, 2025, San Francisco, CA)
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast offers generous wild berry aromas and accents of forest and botanicals. The light-bodied palate has a nuanced core of fruit framed by silky tannins and mouthwatering acidity, and it has a long finish with a touch of new oak spice.
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Wine Spectator
Plump and up-front in feel, with cherry and plum compote notes backed by light anise and iris hints. Offers a friendly, gently toasted finish. Drink now through 2027. 2,240 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.
The Sonoma Coast AVA is large in area but, not counting overlapping regions like Russian River Valley, only has a few thousand acres of grapevines—and it’s no wonder. Much of the region is rugged and not easily accessible. Its proximity to the Pacific Ocean’s fog and cool breezes limits the varieties that can be cultivated, but it proves to be an ideal environment for high quality Pinot Noir.
Since fog is a frequent fact of life here, as are heavy marine layers that sometimes bring rain, the best vineyards are wisely planted above the fog line, on picturesque ridges that capture enough sun to provide even ripening. That, with the overnight drop in temperature that reliably preserves acidity, results in fine expressions of Pinot Noir that often receive tremendous critic and consumer praise alike, and are often in high demand.