Merry Edwards continues to shine with 2022s

I’ve been a huge fan of the Sonoma Pinots from Merry Edwards. For many years, I’ve visited the winery, cellared some wines, received their releases, and written about them.

And in such dynamic and uncertain times, I find it a respite to return to their wines and be reminded of the timeless style and quality.

Since Merry Edwards retired and her mentor Heidi Von Der Mehden picked up the winemaking role in 2020, the wines have continued on a streak of no misses. And the 2022 vintage is delightful. The wines seem smooth, concentrated, but vibrant.

The Pinots shine across the board, and you can pretty much take your pick. But it’s a total delight to parse through the intricacies of the different vineyards.

These Pinot pros, who also boast their classic and masterful Sauv Blanc and a delicious Olivet Lane Chardonnay, are now crushing it with this new Anderson Valley Chardonnay as well. Sourced from sites around the valley, it gives balanced but deep Chard-lovers something to contemplate, and I think it’s a very good addition to their portfolio, especially for the price. Hat’s off!

Of course, each person will have their unique favorite, but you can’t can go wrong with anything in this lineup. These wines were received as samples and tasted sighted.

2022 Merry Edwards Pinot Noir -­ USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
SRP: $65
Ripe purple color. Fun and inviting nose of saucy cherries, strawberry rhubarb pie, along with roses, roasted chestnut, coffee grounds, some pine, and oak. Acidity is great and the chewy tannins provide structure to the palate while the fresh fruit shines through clearly (raspberries, strawberry jam, black cherries). Nuances of rhubarb, dark chocolate, and sweet baking spices add complexity. Suave, nuanced, but also highly delicious and accessible. A very nice, crowd-pleasing intro to their style. Aged 10 months in 53% new French oak. (92 points)

2022 Merry Edwards Pinot Noir Georganne - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

SRP: $70
Light purple color. The aromas are rich and vibrant with complex currants, plums, and strawberries, along with sage, earth, tobacco, some violet petals, and nuanced black pepper and soy tones. On the palate, this sports fine-edged tannins that give it just the right amount of grip, and the acidity is zesty and alive. Red plums, pomegranate, black cherries, and juicy strawberry, the fruit is pure and delicious and backed up with notes of mint, earth, clove, black pepper, black olive. Nuances of oak and dried flowers. This is vibrant and refined but shows a lot of aging potential as well. I love this darker, saucier vineyard, but the wine is super fresh, too. Aged 10 months in 52% new oak. (94 points)

2022 Merry Edwards Pinot Noir Coopersmith - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
SRP: $70
Deep ruby color. The nose pops with spicy, herbal tones (white pepper, clove, tobacco, oregano) over top of juicy raspberries and black cherries, summer plums, along with notes of cola, rhubarb, and sarsaparilla. Suave tannins on the palate, a chewy but lively vibe with fresh acidity, and delicious fruit (strawberries, black cherries, cranberry relish). There are all sorts of floral and savory nuances to coax out as well: violets and roses, spiced black tea, clay soil, with hints of cola and oak. This one will reward the patient in the cellar, but the youthful deliciousness is undeniable. Aged 10 months in 58% new French oak. (94 points)

2022 Merry Edwards Pinot Noir Dach Vineyard - USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley
SRP: $75
Vibrant ruby color. Deep but expressive aromas – I get raspberry jam, black cherries, dark plums, along with clove, dark soil, black tea, and eucalyptus. The palate has a smooth but structured feel, balanced acidity, and juicy cherry, strawberry, and red currant fruit. I’m getting a cool mix of non-fruit elements: a lot of spicy Italian herbs, coffee grounds, and some earthy-mineral tones. Loving the dark, spicy, complexity here, and look forward to seeing how this integrates over the next five to ten years. This recent Anderson Valley addition to their portfolio is worth checking out. Aged 10 months in 54% new French oak. (93 points)

2022 Merry Edwards Pinot Noir Olivet Lane Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
SRP: $75
Light purple color. Gushing aromatic display of ripe red cherries and raspberries, with roses and violets, rhubarb, all sorts of white pepper, black tea, mint, and menthol complexities. Dusty tannins and spritely acidity make for a structured and balanced wine on the palate, with crunchy red cherries and strawberries, sweet red and black plums. The depth and integration of the savory components is really great, with these leather, earth, tobacco, paprika, pine, and mint elements all competing for attention yet marbled together wonderfully. Beautiful and youthful but, again, this will gain all sorts of nuance over the next decade, etc. The first vineyard-designated Pinot of theirs, and the hits keep coming. (94 points)

2022 Merry Edwards Chardonnay - USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

SRP: $45
Rich yellow color. The nose is juicy and complex with white peaches, yellow apples, apricot, along with saline, almond, graham cracker, some yellow flowers and honey. The palate shows a- ripe and plush texture, buttressed by crisp acidity, and lots a delicious fruit salad of yellow apples, pears, apricot, and orange peel. The honey, graham cracker, and nougat notes are subtle and woven in well with the minerals, mountain stream, crushed chalk, and honey elements. Rich but pure, ripe but racy, the flavors are firing and it never feels heavy. I get this elegant mineral and pistachio note on the finish. Well done, and a really solid value.Aged 10 months in 31% new French oak. (93 points)

California value from Line 39

I love highlighting value-driven wines from around the world. But I’ve also found that most of the most dynamic, interesting, inexpensive wines come from places other than the United States.

Over the past 15 years or so that I’ve been closely following the wine world, I’ve been convinced a lot of regions and styles could rightfully hold the title of best value wines – South African Rhone blends, Roussillon reds, Portuguese blends of indigenous white grapes, Chilean Sauvignon Blanc, etc. But California? Nope.

So, this week I wanted to highlight two fun, Summer-friendly wines from California that deliver. Line 39 is one of those rare, widely-available brands that delivers some balance and complexity along with the value. The wines are made by Alyssa Reynolds, who oversees production of a range of organic wines. Cool, crisp, fresh, and flavorful these two wines I tried seem solid for Summer of Fall outdoor gatherings. If you’re looking for some accessible, entry-level wines that deliver and can offer pleasure for newbs and nerds alike, I think these are worth a try.

These wines were received as trade samples and tasted sighted.

2023 Line 39 Sauvignon Blanc - USA, California
SRP: $15
Pale lemon color. Aromas of guava and white peach, with lemon zest, ruby red grapefruit, and tones of yellow flowers, mint, and celery seed. The palate is punchy and crisp with yellow apples, white peach, and kiwi, backed up by fun elements of chalk dust, celery seed, freshly-cut mint, and some mineral essence. Crisp, balanced, a lot to offer for the price. (88 points)

2023 Line 39 Rosé - USA, California
SRP: $15
Deep pink color. Ripe and vibrant on the nose with red apple peel, raspberry, floral potpourri, and some honeyed green tea. The palate pops with ripe flavors, moderate acidity, showing cranberry sauce, red cherry, and watermelon. There are some fun spicy herbal and rhubarb tones to accent the crushed sweet tarts and honey. Fun and tasty and shows some depth for the price point and wide availability. Made from Zinfandel. (88 points)