($48): Merry Edwards is one of my favorite California Pinot Noir producers.  One of her many virtues is that she’s not trying to make red Burgundy.  Her wines express the climate and warmth of California without being overly ripe or heavy.  This bottling comes from a variety of vineyards within the Russian River area and initially conveys a chunky black fruit essence.  As it sits in the glass, engaging savory notes emerge striking a ying-yang type of balance.   A hefty wine, though far from the all-to-common “Pinot-masquerading-as-Syrah” style, it has a graceful footprint.  Though eminently enjoyable now, I would decant it or at least let it sit in the glass for a half hour to allow its flavors to emerge.
90 Michael Apstein Dec 29, 2015