Country: | United States |
Regions: | California California (Sonoma County) |
Winery: | Merry Edwards |
Grape Type: | Pinot Noir |
Organic: | Yes |
Vintage: | 2018 |
Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
Sojourn Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
One of the best values in the Sojourn portfolio, the Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir brings together eight unique lots from sites that comprise several of our single- vineyard designate bottlings. Sangiacomo, Rodgers Creek, Walala and Gap’s Crown Vineyards are the key components, creating a polished blend that offers robust flavors and exceptional texture. This wine offers balance and depth, with multiple layers of dark cherry, nutmeg and earth, leading to a long finish. It is drinking exceptionally well now with a fresh, complex bouquet that draws you into the glass. This wine is the real deal.
This wine is a blend of eight unique lots produced from Sonoma Coast vineyards ranging from Occidental to the Petaluma Gap. Gap’s Crown, Sangiacomo, Rodgers Creek and Walala Vineyards represent key components used to produce this blend. Pinot noir clones 115, 828, 667, Pommard, and Wädenswil 2A add unique elements creating a complex Pinot noir with a myriad of textures and flavors. Each vintage, this wine is balanced and vibrant with lush textures that are characteristic of the Gap’s Crown and Sangiacomo vineyard components.
Pairs with grilled red meat, grilled vegetables, Pizza and pasta.
Review:
"The same could be said for the 2018 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast, which has a slightly fresher, more floral, raspberry-laced perfume as well as lots of pine and foresty nuances, medium to full body, a tight, vibrant texture, and a great finish. It's another beautiful wine that should evolve for 5-7 years or so."
- Jeb Dunnuck (May 5th 2020), 93 pts
Argot Pinot Noir Sonoma County is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Everything you have come to expect from an Argot Pinot Noir, shone through the filter of a textbook-perfect vintage. We simply can not get over the quality of fruit this wine displays! Intense, yet fresh; fruity, yet spicy; brambly, yet juicy; immediate, yet lingering. A Pinot Noir that displays the variety’s natural come-hither attitude, while succinctly capturing its intriguing nature. There are not enough superlatives to describe this wine. Almost too easy to love!
VINEYARD Multiple vineyards throughout Sonoma County, including both valley floor and high-elevation hillside sites
PRODUCTION 600 cases
VARIETAL 100% Pinot Noir
CRUSH Night harvested by hand beginning in mid-September, concluding at our coolest sit on October 13. Cluster and berry sorted by hand, de-stemmed, no crushing
FERMENT 7-day cold soaks, followed by native fermentation in open-top containers, with the grapes fermenting on their skins for an average time of 14 days.
AGING 16 months, French oak barrels, 7% new, remainder once-used. Never racked prior to bottling. Bottled un-fined, unfiltered.
NOTES Singularly great. 2018 was an all-time vintage for California’s North Coast, achieving rarely before experienced heights. A mild summer gave way to Autumnal perfection, allowing cooler areas the opportunity to ripen their crop while chemistries remained perfect. What arrives in bottle is nothing short of a pinnacle representation of Sonoma County Pinot Noir — profound depth of pure, red Pinot Noir fruits, caressing textures balanced by deep minerality and a quenching acidity.
Ancien Pinot Noir Carneros is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Pinot Noir Carneros comes entirely from the Toyon Vineyard, located in the Napa side of Carneros. This vineyard was originally planted for Ancien Wines in 1998 with cuttings tracing back to the Swan estate in Sonoma County and Dijon 115 - followed by cuttings from Ed Penhoet’s vineyard in Carmel Valley. Ed’s selection from River Selection is a story into itself, and is sometimes referred as “Pisoni Clone” since Gary Pisoni took cuttings from the vineyard in the early ‘80s.
Baking spice sings in an endless symphony with wild berry notes, complemented by characteristic Carneros notes of cola. Juicy cherry notes grace the palate and combine seamlessly with anise and hibiscus, ending on a savory note. The palate is round and full of textural, mouth-coating tannins balanced by a bright acidity. Broad chewy tannins, earthy spices and minerality complement the fruit and exotic floral notes of this wine. The palate of this delicious wine will continue to develop in opulence over years of aging, revealing even darker layers and an increasingly smooth texture.
Review:
"Pale to medium ruby-purple colored, the 2018 Pinot Noir shoots from the glass with bold scents of juicy red plums, Bing cherries and raspberry leaves, plus hints of rhubarb, dried Provence herbs and damp soil. Medium-bodied, delicately styled and refreshing with fine-grained tannins, it has a spicy kick to the finish. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #257, October 2021), 90 pts
EnRoute Winery Les Pommiers Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
This extraordinary vintage of Les Pommiers Pinot Noir offers balance, concentration, and harmony. Delicate violet and ripe strawberry aromatics open onto a full, silky palate framed by seamless tannins and vibrant acidity. Notes of confectionary spice and toasted oak accents lead into a finish that is lovely and lifted.
As nursery owners in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Walt and Joan Flowers had long dreamed of combining their love of wine with their passion for agriculture. They knew they wanted to produce their favorite varietals, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir; what they didn’t know was that their path would eventually lead them across country to Northern California’s rugged Sonoma Coast. After responding to a small classified ad in a national wine publication, that’s exactly where they landed.In 1989, after many information-gathering trips to Napa and Sonoma, Walt and Joan purchased 321 acres, including a ridge top, high above the Pacific Ocean on the northern Sonoma Coast. With the same determination they drew on to build their successful nursery business; the Flowers proceeded with the dream of producing their favorite cool-climate varietals in a place they believed uniquely suited to growing them.Today, Flowers Winery produces Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from its two estate properties, Camp Meeting Ridge Vineyard and Sea View Ridge Vineyard, as well as select vineyards in the coolest regions of the Sonoma Coast AVA, which are farmed to Flowers’ specifications by their own crews. In addition to direct consumer sales, the wines are sold to fine restaurants and retailers in the US and overseas.
Review:
Offers a rich and lusciously spicy aroma, with flavors to match, as well as a deep core of cherry compote, berry, currant and red plum accents that glide across the palate. Unctuous midpalate, featuring a long, cream-filled finish. Drink now through 2026.
-Wine Spectator 94 Points
Kynsi Pinot Noir Edna Valley is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
The Edna Valley was one of the first registered appellations in California and boasts a rich agrarian history. The coastal terrain features varied soil types that are predominantly marine in origin, with ancient volcanic influences. The unusual transverse ranges allows the appellation to open up to the cooling breezes of the Pacific Ocean from nearby Morro Bay and Pismo Beach. The climate is strongly influenced by the ocean providing ideal, temperate growing conditions for Pinot Noir. Early spring warming, mild summer temperatures and late arriving cold fall temperatures and rain provide a long growing season for the development of rich color with concentrated and complex flavors.
Review:
Light berry and cherry aromas are fresh, crisp and inviting on the nose of this wine, which also offers light vanilla and star anise notes. There is a decent structure to the palate, where strong acidity cuts against the fruity flavors, and baking spice warms the tart finish.
-Wine Enthusiast 92 Points
Merry Edwards Winery Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
The enticing profile of this elegant Pinot Noir was created by blending together individual lots made from several different clonal selections. The grapes come from diverse sites bordering the Sonoma County coast, and each vineyard is influenced by its proximity to the Pacific Ocean, which is just a few miles away. In the late afternoon, marine winds carry cool fog to blanket these sites, sometimes until late the next morning. This weather pattern lengthens the “hang time” of the grapes on the vine, allowing complex flavors to develop.
The wine possesses a deep ruby opaque color with a garnet red rim. On the nose, it offers aromas of bright Bing cherry with hints of licorice, subtle forest floor and open inviting notes of rose petal, vanilla and baking spices. Rich and lively upon entry, the mouth begins with fruit forward notes of crunchy raspberries and red cherries. Silky tannins are supported by well-balanced acidity and mocha notes throughout a long finish.
Pairs well with potato-crusted salmon, parmesan portobello risotto, chicken macadamia, spicy quinoa with asparagus and shiitake mushrooms.
Review:
Jammy plum, strawberry and dark cherry ooze from the core of this beautifully coastal wine, seasoned in dried herb, clove and black tea. Expressive and varietal, with a thick tannin structure, it has room to open further and unwind, its oak well integrated and its tannins structured.
-Wine Enthisiast 94 Points
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. A self-described perfectionist, she has constantly refined her vineyard practices, wines and techniques. Merry does not rest on her laurels ― she grows. “People frequently ask what is the best wine I have ever made. I tell them it’s not made yet!”
Food was Merry’s gateway to wine. She recalls, “When I was a teenager, my mother had cookbooks produced by the California Wine Advisory Board. Wine was an ingredient in every recipe, so I started cooking with wine.”
Fascinated with food chemistry and fermentation in particular, Merry brewed beer as a simple extension of making bread and working with yeast. Then she purchased a book on home winemaking and began to ferment fruit wines. In 1970, when Merry earned her B.S. degree in Physiology from the University of California at Berkeley, her friends knew her as the accomplished amateur who made The Merry Vintners wines.
Ancien Pinot Noir Carneros is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Pinot Noir Carneros comes entirely from the Toyon Vineyard, located in the Napa side of Carneros. This vineyard was originally planted for Ancien Wines in 1998 with cuttings tracing back to the Swan estate in Sonoma County and Dijon 115 - followed by cuttings from Ed Penhoet’s vineyard in Carmel Valley. Ed’s selection from River Selection is a story into itself, and is sometimes referred as “Pisoni Clone” since Gary Pisoni took cuttings from the vineyard in the early ‘80s.
Baking spice sings in an endless symphony with wild berry notes, complemented by characteristic Carneros notes of cola. Juicy cherry notes grace the palate and combine seamlessly with anise and hibiscus, ending on a savory note. The palate is round and full of textural, mouth-coating tannins balanced by a bright acidity. Broad chewy tannins, earthy spices and minerality complement the fruit and exotic floral notes of this wine. The palate of this delicious wine will continue to develop in opulence over years of aging, revealing even darker layers and an increasingly smooth texture.
Review:
"Pale to medium ruby-purple colored, the 2018 Pinot Noir shoots from the glass with bold scents of juicy red plums, Bing cherries and raspberry leaves, plus hints of rhubarb, dried Provence herbs and damp soil. Medium-bodied, delicately styled and refreshing with fine-grained tannins, it has a spicy kick to the finish. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #257, October 2021), 90 pts
Belle Glos Eulenoch Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Ruby red with aromas of ripe cherry and juicy blackberry with hints of cocoa. Rich and opulent offering flavors of bakers chocolate, blackberry, and sweet pipe tobacco. Well rounded with supple, refined tannins and a mouthwatering, long finish.
Nickel & Nickel Bear Track Cabernet Sauvignon is made from Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
Bear Track Vineyard is planted in three terraced blocks on the eastern hillsides of Napa Valley, just outside of the Howell Mountain AVA. The cool climate and iron-rich, volcanic ash soils result in small, tight clusters of concentrated fruit. Ample hang time before harvest yields a Cabernet Sauvignon with intense, dark fruit flavors and integrated tannins.
Nickel & Nickel Bear Track Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 Review:
With a plushness on the palate, this varietal wine offers spicy undertones of cedar, sage and oak, with woody tannin and thick, concentrated black fruit. Intense throughout, the berry richness is contrasted by flecks of iron and crushed rock. Enjoy 2029–2039. Cellar Selection
-Wine Enthusiast 94 Points
Michel Thomas Sancerre Blanc is 100% Sauvignon Blanc (40% Caillottes, 40% Grosses Terres, 20% Silex)
The wine displays an exotic nose with a touch of smoke and licorice. On the palate, peach and watermelon dominate with citrus zest and chalk notes.
Aged on the lees for a few months (no oak).
Soil type: Clay, limestone, sedimentary rock Pairs with seafood, fish, goats cheese.
Mordoree Tavel Rose Dame Rousse is made from Grenache 60 %, Cinsault 10%, Syrah 10 %, Mourvèdre 10%, Clairette 5%, and Bourboulenc 5%.
Nose : steady rose, brilliant and limpid.
Aromas : very complex with flowers, red and white fruits aromas.
Palate : rounded, full bodied with a long lasting aniseed and fruity finish.
Ageing potential : 4 to 6 years
Surface : 9 Ha. Yield : 44 Hl./Ha. Vineyard age : 40 years Terroir : Clay / chalk and sandy with pebble stones. Harvest : by hand Vinification : 100% destemming, cold maceration during 48 h., pneumatic pressing, fermentation at 18° C. Estate bottle
Food pairing: cold meat and delicatessen, poultry, white meats, grilled meats, fried fish, fish soup, pastas, pizzas and all Asian cuisine.
Review:
Deeply concentrated and penetrating with blackberry and black cherry flavors, this pale ruby rosé offers the zesty fruit character that rosé lovers demand alongside an intensity and structure craved by red wine drinkers. A touch more spry than the producer's more richly concentrated La Reine des Bois, it's a delicately spiced, pepper-edged rosé that can be enjoyed year-round.
Wine Enthusiast 93 Points
Roserock by Drouhin Oregon Eola-Amity Hills Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
This Chardonnay leads with clean, fresh aromas of apple, honeydew, white flowers, shortcake and a touch of nuttiness. On the palate, the wine is generous and round, with flavors of citrus tart, white peach, almonds and spice with a delicious combination of minerality and richness. The finish is long.
James Suckling 93 Points
Decanter 93 Points
Franz Prager, co-founder of the Vinea Wachau, had already earned a reputation for his wines when Toni Bodenstein married into the family. Bodenstein’s passion for biodiversity and old terraces, coupled with brilliant winemaking, places Prager in the highest echelon of Austrian producers.
Smaragd is a designation of ripeness for dry wines used exclusively by members of the Vinea Wachau. The wines must have minimum alcohol of 12.5%. The grapes are hand-harvested, typically in October and November, and are sent directly to press where they spontaneously ferment in stainless-steel tanks.
Klaus sits adjacent to Achleiten and is one of the Wachau’s most famous vineyards for Riesling. The vineyard is incredibly steep with a gradient of 77% at its steepest point. The southeast-facing terraced vineyard of dark migmatite-amphibolite and paragneiss produces a tightly wound and powerful wine. The parcel belonging to Toni Bodenstein was planted in 1952.
Tasting Notes:
Austrian Riesling is often defined by elevated levels of dry extract thanks to a lengthy ripening period and freshness due to dramatic temperature swings between day and night. “Klaus is not a charming Riesling,” says Toni Bodenstein with a wink. Klaus is Prager’s most assertive and robust Riesling.
Food Pairing
Riesling’s high acidity makes it one of the most versatile wines at the table. Riesling can be used to cut the fattiness of foods such as pork or sausages and can tame some saltiness. Conversely, it can highlight foods such as fish or vegetables in the same way a squeeze of lemon or a vinaigrette might.
Review:
The 2020 Ried Klaus Riesling Smaragd is deep, pure and coolish on the nose, very complex, refined and flinty. Silky, refined and elegant on the palate, this is a juicy-piquant as well as crystalline and salty, very complex and persistent Klaus of great class and style with fine tannins, stimulating bitters and firm structure. A great wine. Tasted in June 2021.
At Prager, I could not determine that 2020 would be inferior to the 2019 vintage; on the contrary, the 2020 Smaragd wines fascinated me enormously in their clear, cool, terroir-tinged way. A 38% loss had occurred mainly because of the hail on August 22, although predominantly in the Federspiel or Riesling vineyards. There was no damage in the top vineyards such as Ried Klaus, Achleiten or Zwerithaler. "Interestingly, the vines are in agony for about two weeks after the hail. There was no more growth, no development of ripeness and sugar," reports Toni Bondenstein. The Veltliner then recovered earlier, while even picking a Riesling Federspiel in October was still a struggle. "Why Riesling reacted more intensively to the hail, I don't know myself either," says Bodenstein. Whole clusters were pressed to preserve acidity and to compensate for the lower extract, and compared to 2019, the 2020s were left on their lees longer. In June, however, the 20s in particular showed outstanding early shape.
-Wine Advocate 96 Points
WINERY SALE!
COLOR Deep, dark brick red to blood plum
AROMAS A seamless blend of crème de cassis, hazelnut, cocoa, blackberry preserves, a charry meat toastiness, dark fruits and blackberry pie along with suggestions of dark licorice, stewed rhubarb, strawberry, spice and vanillin.
PALATE Rich and satisfying with chocolate brownie, yogurt, molasses, brown sugar and rhubarb notes presented in perfect balance with higher-toned fruit emphasis.
STRUCTURE The wine’s weight is first felt on the front of the palate but then coats the entire mouth with placating tannin and a light, pleasing grittiness. This weight, ideally counterpoised alongside the acid, leaves the mouth watering. Great persistence on the finish.
Review:
While the majority of the fruit comes from the floor of the Napa Valley to achieve the richness and elegance desired, we also relied on some grapes grown in the well-drained gravelly soils of the side slopes and at low elevations in the more mountainous areas for a blend with more structure and complexity than we could have achieved had we used fruit grown solely in a single region. Napa Valley AVAs: Oakville, St. Helena, Atlas Peak, Coombsville, Calistoga, and Howell Mountain.
-Somm Journal 95 Points