Winemaker Notes
A beautifully balanced wine that will stand up to heartier Italian and meat dishes.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This varietal Merlot is decadent without being overbearing; indulgent without being guilty. Find aromas and flavors of black cherry, chocolate, vanilla, roses, raspberry, pomegranate, cranberry, with hints of cedar, dried fig and little prune. The palate incorporates chalky tannins and an elevated acidity that adds a balanced freshness.
With generous fruit and supple tannins, Merlot is made in a range of styles from everyday-drinking to world-renowned and age-worthy. Merlot is the dominant variety in the wines from Bordeaux’s Right Bank regions of St. Emilion and Pomerol, where it is often blended with Cabernet Franc to spectacular result. Merlot also frequently shines on its own, particularly in California’s Napa Valley. Somm Secret—As much as Miles derided the variety in the 2004 film, Sideways, his prized 1961 Château Cheval Blanc is actually a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
A large and diverse appellation within California’s North Coast AVA, Mendocino is home to several smaller sub-regions—most notably the Anderson Valley. This scenic region, with rolling hills covered in redwood forests as well as vineyards, is one of the world’s top producers of certified organically-grown grapes. Due to wide geographical and climatic variation, a vast array of wine styles can be found here.