Review: Wines of Merry Edwards, Late 2021 Releases
The arrival of the latest crop of Merry Edwards wines is always cause for celebration at Drinkhacker HQ, and this season’s collection of wines — a chardonnay and four pinot noirs — is no exception. 2019 is turning out to be a tougher year for pinot noir than initially expected — but the door for seems wide open. Let’s dig in to this quintet, all from the 2019 vintage. (We also reviewed five more 2019 Merry Edwards pinots earlier this year; see the prior link.)
2019 Merry Edwards Chardonnay Olivet Lane – Creamy and luscious, this is California chardonnay at its best, a lively exploration of apple crumble, lemon curd, and the slightest, softest marshmallow sweetness to balance out the bright fruit notes. Vanilla — but not hoary oak — lingers just about forever on the rounded, enduring finish. Gorgeous stuff. A / $68
2019 Merry Edwards Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast – A gentler expression of pinot noir than I would expect from a Sonoma Coast bottling, this is a somewhat beefy, lower-acidity rendition of the grape, its body focused on stewed fruits over fresh cherry notes, with notes of cola and brewed tea lingering heavily on the finish. The conclusion takes on a somewhat woody character, hinting at pepper and cloves. B / $48
2019 Merry Edwards Pinot Noir Bucher Vineyard – This Russian River pinot is a bit doughy, the fruit understated on a wine that shows notes of licorice, tobacco leaf, clove, and some green herbs all percolating to the top of the palate. As it develops on the tongue, the wine becomes somewhat brambly, lacking the acidity it needs to prop up some of its more unctuous characteristics and tempering notes of cherry cola, hidden in the core. A lengthy cream soda character lingers on the quite lengthy finish. B / $63
2019 Merry Edwards Pinot Noir Warrens’ Hill – Another single vineyard Russian River pinot, initially on the savory side, with notes of mushroom and forest floor dominant. Time in glass gives this wine some time to develop, notes of blueberry, raspberry, and violets adding complexity to what remains again a bit of a brambly, finicky experience, a very gentle balsamic note present on the finish. B+ / $66
2019 Merry Edwards Pinot Noir Meredith Estate – The best pinot of this tasting, it’s easily the fruitiest of the bunch, featuring lively notes of raspberry and a bit of strawberry, fading into some cranberry character as it develops on the palate. Fragrant and gently spicy, the wine finishes with classic Russian River notes of cola nut and tea leaf, a bit sultry with gently herbal character on the finish. Tough to put down. A- / $74 [BUY IT NOW FROM TOTAL WINE]
2019 Merry Edwards Chardonnay Olivet Lane
$68
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