Merry Edwards approaches life with graceful intensity. Now in the fifth decade of her winemaking career, Merry has earned the universal respect of winemaking peers, grape growers and academicians.

At home in the Russian River Valley since 1977, Merry Edwards has explored its hills, pockets, slopes and hollows, discovering small sites where choosing the right rootstock, clone and farming techniques can produce exceptional grapes. 

Merry Edwards purchased this piece of land in 1996 and transformed it from an abandoned apple orchard into her first Pinot Noir vineyard. The development of Meredith Estate represents Merry’s vision for winegrowing taking form. Since that time, Meredith Estate has grown in stature to become the winery’s flagship bottling and the ultimate expression of Pinot Noir in Russian River Valley. The 2018 vintage offers brilliant insight into the quality of Pinot Noir this landmark vineyard is capable of producing.

This beautiful estate-owned vineyard has a stunning view of Mount Saint Helena to the northeast and the rolling Sebastopol Hills to the south. Its perfect orientation to the sun allows fruit to ripen somewhat earlier in the season than would be expected from its cool-climate location. Meanwhile the row direction protects the fruit from excess heat and sunburn — a winning combination.

All grapes harvested from the site are fermented in discrete lots so that individual clones can be treated respectfully. Dijon 667 is highly successful on this site and thus forms a strong foundation for this stunning wine. Highlights of the Swan selection, Dijon 777 and Merry's own UCD37 round out and add complexity to the overall blend.

The nose of this opaque purple wine starts with inviting notes of vanilla cream, fresh blackberries, baking spices and plums. Elegant and refined on the palate, this Estate bottling has a purity of fruit and silky, well-integrated tannins. Brooding black fruit notes and bittersweet chocolate intertwine with a core of well-balanced acidity. The finish is long, bright and mouthwatering— an effortless marriage of intensity and grace.

Longtime Merry Edwards Winery tasting room host Lori Myers created Smoked Duck with Warm Mushroom Paté and In-Season Fruit Glaze to pair with our Meredith Estate Pinot Noir. The earthy, fruity, slightly spicy flavors of this cool-climate Pinot Noir match perfectly with the duck’s distinctive smokiness and richness tinged with fruit. The mushroom paté, with its creamy earthiness, brings all of the elements together in an elegant fashion.

Find this recipe at merryedwards.com.