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.

We began making our Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc in 2001, and we have lovingly reproduced this delicious wine each vintage since then. Merry Edwards developed this style of Sauvignon Blanc in order to tame the grape’s innate “green” charactesristics, and over the past two decades, this aromatic, barrel-aged Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc has become among the most sought after and critically acclaimed in California.

The combination of techniques used to produce this age-worthy style results in a wine of balance, richness and aromatic complexity. A substantial percentage of Sauvignon Musqué adds floral notes and rich body, complementing the underlying herbal nature of the core grape clone — Sauvignon Blanc Clone 1 (Shenandoah). Barrel fermentation in French oak, 15 percent new, builds body by facilitating twice-weekly lees stirring for five months and the extraction of a hint of sweet oak.

The nose of the 2023 vintage features fragrant tropical aromas of white pineapple, passionfruit, mango and guava, with subtle hints of plumeria, lemon curd and lime zest. The palate is clean and bright, with accents of ruby red grapefruit, honeysuckle and ripe melon followed by a burst of crisp, refreshing acidity.

After many years of drought, we welcomed a full dose of rain in 2023. The rains lasted throughout the spring, providing the vines with plenty of moisture to grow a healthy canopy and full crop load. It also helped to moderate temperatures, keeping frost at bay. The summer was very typical for the Russian River Valley, with cool nights and coastal fog that came in every evening, barely burning off by noon. These cooler temperatures led to delicate floral and stone fruit aromas in our Sauvignon Blanc, with bright, fresh acidity.

Pairs beautifully with Kaffir lime and coconut soup with black cod. The combination of Kaffir lime and coconut milk with the slightly spicy broth makes an outstanding pairing with our Sauvignon Blanc.