Merry Edwards Olivet Lane Chardonnay 2017
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This golden, straw-colored wine offers up appealing aromas of crème brûlée, citrus blossom and vanilla bean, as well as Asian pear, pineapple and golden delicious apple. In the mouth, it is rich with well-integrated oak and perfect underpinnings of acidity. Delightful lemon meringue, lightly toasted almonds, orange zest and floral notes linger throughout the lengthy finish.
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Wine Enthusiast
Edwards has worked with the Pellegrini family's Olivet Lane fruit for years and it shows here, in this deliciously complex, fruity white wine. Golden-apple, pear, stone and lemon flavors highlight a high-toned and crisp palate of nuanced acidity and floral aromatics, with a lasting hint of almond on the finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Chardonnay Olivet Lane is lush and full of pleasure this vintage, with a nose of baked apples, white peaches, honeycomb, hazelnuts and gentle notes of floral perfume. The palate is rounded and silky with honeyed flavor layers that are lifted and fresh, and it finishes long and savory. 631 cases produced.
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Wine Spectator
Broad-textured, with concentrated apple pastry, pear tart and tropical fruit flavors bound together by fresh acidity. The creamy finish lingers with butter and cinnamon notes. Drink now through 2023.
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Merry Edwards Winery was founded in 1997 and produces critically acclaimed terroir-driven Pinot Noirs and Sauvignon Blanc using site-specific viticulture in the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast appellations. Over two decades, Merry assembled a stellar collection of vineyards and with her meticulous attention to detail crafted Pinot Noirs of immense depth, elegant structure and exceptional longevity. Her Sauvignon Blanc is among the most sought after in the world.
Now a Certified California Sustainable Winery, the brand entered a new chapter after Merry’s retirement. Merry’s handpicked successor, Winemaker Heidi von der Mehden, and Winery President Nicole Carter have taken up exactly where Merry left off and will continue to make wines treasured by legions of Merry Edwards’ fans well into the future.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
A standout region for its decidedly Californian take on Burgundian varieties, the Russian River Valley is named for the eponymous river that flows through it. While there are warm pockets of the AVA, it is mostly a cool-climate growing region thanks to breezes and fog from the nearby Pacific Ocean.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir reign supreme in Russian River, with the best examples demonstrating a unique combination of richness and restraint. The cool weather makes Russian River an ideal AVA for sparkling wine production, utilizing the aforementioned varieties. Zinfandel also performs exceptionally well here. Within the Russian River Valley lie the smaller appellations of Chalk Hill and Green Valley. The former, farther from the ocean, is relatively warm, with a focus on red and white Bordeaux varieties. The latter is the coolest, foggiest parcel of the Russian River Valley and is responsible for outstanding Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.