Merry Edwards Winery was founded in 1997 and produces terroir-driven, single-vineyard wines from 80 acres of estate vineyards in the Russian River Valley. The winery is known for crafting Pinot Noirs of immense depth, elegant structure and exceptional longevity as well as its aromatic, barrel-aged Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc, which is among the most sought after made in California. A single-vineyard Chardonnay and Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc round out the portfolio.

In 1996, Merry purchased this 24-acre site, an abandoned apple orchard southwest of the Sebastopol city limits. Two years later, she converted the entire parcel to Pinot Noir. Meredith Estate vineyard grows in an area known locally as the Sebastopol Hills. On this cool southern edge of Russian River Valley, summer fog shrouds the area, typically until midday. Vine growth and crop load are carefully monitored and maintained, and irrigation requirements are precisely determined by measuring the moisture content of the grape leaves.

We are now farming all of Meredith Estate organically and intend to attain certification in the near future, but stewardship of this site has always included the use of sustainable, renewable farming practices. Cover crops are maintained between the vine rows, reducing erosion of the steep, sloping terrain and supporting beneficial insects. Natural amendments, including grape pomace and mushroom compost, replenish the soil with micronutrients. Owl boxes and hawk perches encourage natural control of rodents and other pests, and bluebird boxes are being installed to aid insect control.

Grapes for this bottling were harvested on Sept. 3, 2022. The Pinot Noir was handpicked and hand sorted in the field and at the winery. Berries were 100% destemmed, with whole berries placed in the fermenter. The fruit was cold soaked for five days prior to initiating fermentation. After fermentation finished, the grapes were gently pressed and the resulting wine was aged 10 months in 56% new French oak barrels. Bottling was done on Aug. 4, 2023.

Meredith Estate is our flagship vineyard and a testament to our continuing quest to capture the intense flavors and richness of estate grown grapes in every bottle. In this vintage, a nose filled with sweet aromatics of violets, roses, dark plum and Bing cherry precedes a dense, juicy, mouthwatering entry. Broad, rich tannins envelop black cherry, boysenberry, cedar and pipe tobacco. Earthy mushroom and leather notes combine with seductive hints of toast throughout the long, lingering finish.

Sunny days early in the 2022 growing season in Sonoma County led to an early budbreak that began in February. A cold, hard frost that followed threatened the young buds, but proper frost protection limited the damage. The remainder of the spring and summer were quite mild, allowing for steady development and ripening. Harvest began early because of the early budbreak. Warm days in the second half of August and into September allowed the grapes to fully ripen. Yields were lighter than average. Fruit quality was stellar, with smaller berry and cluster sizes, leading to concentrated and flavorful wines.