Merry Edwards 2012 Sauvignon Blanc
Warm weather is here again so it’s time to crack open a Sauvignon Blanc, but not just any Sauvignon Blanc, start the summer with one of the best. One of California’s first woman winemakers, Merry Edwards began her career at Mount Eden Vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains in 1974. She went on to become the founding winemaker at Matanzas Creek in 1977 and remained there until 1984. For the next decade, Merry consulted for numerous wineries, large and small, in Oregon and many diverse appellations of California.
In 1997, family and friends joined Merry to found Merry Edwards Winery, with a focus on producing Pinot Noirs with a sense of place from Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast. Living her dream, she and her husband, Ken Coopersmith, now manage five estate vineyards: Coopersmith, Cresta d’Oro, Flax, Georganne and Meredith. They maintain collaborative relationships with several other dedicated growers to supplement their estate production. Two regional blends and six vineyard designates are bottled. In 2001, a barrel-fermented Sauvignon Blanc blend was added to the portfolio. Merry and Ken completed their state-of-the-art winery facility in 2008 on the site of Coopersmith Vineyard. Merry has been making fine wines for over 40 years.
Opening a bottle of Merry’s 2012 Sauvignon Blanc I was noticed a pale-yellow color and fragrant aromas of tropical, citrus fruit and melons. This is one of the few Sauvignon Blancs that are barrel-fermented which adds a wonderful toasty oak flavor which is not expected, but sets this wine apart from the rest. The palate shows fresh fruit flavors of melons, lemons, peaches and pears, with the subtle earthy mineral tones, lively acidity and a smooth well balanced finish. The 2011, I previously tasted, was equally as good, and, as always I can’t wait to taste their new vintages, but Merry Edwards only knows how to make fine wine. Also be sure to visit the Merry Edwards website for some fine recipes.
Cheers!