MERRY EDWARDS
2003 RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY PINOT NOIR
Four Stars
Gothic Epicures VinCuisine, Dean Tudor, Tasting at Vertical in Toronto, June 2, 2010
92 points
James Laube, The Wine Spectator, December
15, 2006
92 points
“Plush and juicy …with generous, spicy berry fruit and a silky
texture”
Steve Pitcher, The Wine News, April/May 2006
92 points
“Intense and concentrated, with ripe, rich layers…”
James Laube, The Wine Spectator Online, March
22, 2006
91 points
Pinot Report, Issue #38
“Exceptional, a delicious Pinot, that is intensely flavored, fleshy in
texture, full bodied, and very long on the finish.”
Ronn Wiegand, Restaurant Wine, Issue #111
MERRY
EDWARDS 2002 RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY PINOT
NOIR
94 points
“A big and beautiful style of Pinot—has great presence now but
will definitely get better in the bottle.”
PinotReport Issue #28
91 points
“The wine recalls the solidity of northerly Côte de Nuits Burgundies…”
Good Value
Connoisseurs’ Guide to California
Wines, February 2005
“Full bodied, round…a generously flavored Pinot Noir.”
-Ronn Wiegand, Restaurant Wine, Issue #104
“Exceptional. An elegant and tasty wine that
works with roast meats.”
Dan Berger’s Vintage Experiences
May 5, 2005
“Highly recommended”
-The California Grapevine, December
2004-January 2005
MERRY
EDWARDS 2001 RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY PINOT
NOIR
91 points
“...outstanding..”
-Pinot Report
(91
points)
“…the most plentiful of Ms. Edwards’ very good Pinots, this
well-ripened wine comes with the depth and density that are hallmarks of its
maker…its palate-coating viscosity and persistent sense of richness make
it a more than worthy member of the clan.”
-Connoisseurs’ Guide
to California Wine, February 2004
“Exceptional. Luscious and full bodied, this is a finely balanced wine,
with a long finish. It tastes of black cherry, plum, toasted oak, clove, and
pomegranate.”
-Ronn Wiegand, Restaurant Wine, Issue #99
“has an elegance balanced by a firm tannic
backbone that will age beautifully for a few years.”
-Food & Wine
Editor Narsai David, , KCBS Radio, January 13, 2004
MERRY
EDWARDS 2000 RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY PINOT
NOIR
93 points
One of the “Top 100 Wines of 2003”
“Big Pinot, opening with a blast of black cherries, truffle, smoke, new
kid leather and a thousand other scents. Rich, dense and fruity—a delight
packed with pure cherry flavors. Yet it feels light as a feather, soft as silk.”
-Wine Enthusiast “Best
of Year” Issue
93 points, Editors’ Choice
“Rich, dense and fruity—a delight packed
with pure cherry flavors. Yet it feels light as a feather, soft
as silk.”
-Steve Heimoff, The Wine Enthusiast, February
2003
92
“This impressively filled offering is simply loaded with well- extracted
fruit and is fit with just the right measure of lightly toasty oak. Big in
body and wonderfully supple with an altogether classic velvety feel, it is
ripe and rich without becoming hot or heavy and it carries into a lengthy,
ripe-cherry finish.”
-Connoisseurs Guide to California Wine,
November 2002
90 points
“Very nice tart berry/cherry
style with enough stuffing to keep up with most food.”
-PinotReport, August 2002
“The RRV is extremely well balanced, supple and full bodied, with medium
intensity and a lightly tannic finish. Tastes of raspberry, toast, nutmeg,
baked cherry, and new oak.”
-Ronn Wiegand, Restaurant Wine, Issue
#91
The San Francisco Chronicle wine
tasting panel rated Merry Edwards 2000 Russian River Valley Pinot
Noir among their “Favorite Russian River Valley Pinot Noirs”
-November 28, 2002
“Shows distinctive varietal character and
should continue to develop with several more years of bottle aging.
Highly Recommended.”
-California Grapevine,
October-November 2002
MERRY EDWARDS 1999
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY PINOT NOIR
“We rolled the 2002 into a blind tasting and
it knocked us out with the breadth and depth of its dark, ripe
and rich berry fruit.”
Mike Dunne, Sacramento Bee, December 15, 2004
- Ronn
Wiegand, Restaurant Wine, Issue #86
90 points "...among the
finest we have tasted from the USA in the 1999 vintage."
- Wine & Spirits, February 2002
"Lovely aromas and pure fruit with just
the right dose of oak." - The Washington Post, August
28, 2002
91 points "Big and full
in mouth with juicy blackberry and cherry flavors, complex
spice component, good structure and balance." - PinotReport, June
2002
"Pinot Noir of the Year" - Tom
Simoneau, KSRO radio.
(90
pts) - "...The wine is precise in fruit, smoothly
textured and fairly long on the palate, and it ends with
just the right spark of snappy acidity at the finish.
Its sense of seamless integration is what separates it
from the crowd..." - Connoisseurs' Guide to California
Wine, November 2001 issue
Second place (90
of 100) points "Very highly recommended" - California Grapevine, August
- September 2000
"A long, lingering, delicious aftertaste…" -
Narsai David, KCBS Food News, August 24, 2001
- You
need a dozen o's in 'smooth' to describe this wine. A blend
of four different vineyards, it captures Merry's signature
style. Lots of black cherry fruit is layered with pepper
notes and a dash of smokiness. Drink now. - Wines of the
Week by Leslie Sbrocco, The New York Times, December
4, 2001
MERRY
EDWARDS 1998 RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY PINOT
NOIR
Rated "Best of the Best"
- San Francisco Chronicle, June 27, 2001
"It's a work of art......stunning!"
- Tom Simoneau, The Wine Guy, KSRO radio
Bright cherry-berry aroma, spicy-earthy
notes; great texture and fruit, juicy, good balancing acidity; lush
finish. Perfect with lamb stew, grilled tuna.
- June 13, 2001
In honor of Valentine's Day, the February
issue of Food & Wine Magazine selected
the 1998 Merry Edwards Russian River Valley Pinot Noir as one of
the " Seductive 7" red wines.
'Excellent' to 1998 Merry Edwards Pinot Noirs!
- The San Francisco Chronicle
"Merry Edwards 1998 Russian River
Pinot Noir is more luscious [than the 1997 wine], smooth
and full with great depth." - Gerald Boyd,
San
Francisco Chronicle,
January 10, 2001
"Still
in its youth, but what a pretty wine. Though nice to drink now,
it should grow up beautifully too." - Leslie Sbrocco,
WineToday.com, November 13, 2000
Highest marks to Merry Edwards 1998 Pinot Noir, Russian
River Valley “One of the best ‘98 Pinot Noirs we’ve tasted
. . . A supple, well balanced wine, with good character and a long
finish. Best wine we’ve tasted form this winemaker.”
- Ronn Wiegand, Master of Wine and Master Sommellier,
Restaurant Wine, issue #79
MERRY
EDWARDS 1997 RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY PINOT
NOIR
Cellar Selection - In this
first release of Pinot Noir under her own label, Edwards has adopted
traditional Burgundian techniques to making the wine, like cold
soaking the grapes prior to fermentation in small open-top fermenters
and punching down the cap of grape skins and whole berries by hand.
This labor-intensive work produces a deeper colored Pinot with
more intense berry-rich flavors and a long concentrated finish.
This 1997 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir has a lovely medium-ruby
color. Up-front black-cherry and boiled-tea aromatics dominate
the nose. The flavors show more toasted oak and chocolate. The
wine is smooth and silky with loads of fruit and soft, fine tannins.
The finish is firm fruity with great promise."
- Gerald Boyd, San Francisco Chronicle,
September 15, 1999
