Merry Edwards Olivet Lane Chardonnay 2020
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Tropical fruit notes leap from the glass of this lovely vintage of Olivet Lane –including kiwi, guava and melon – along with fragrances of poached pear, nectarine and apple tart. Entry begins with mouth-filling and rich Bananas Foster, complete with vanilla ice cream and a hint of toast. Meyer lemon, grilled peaches and toasted hazelnuts linger throughout the long finish.
Pair this complex and aromatic Chardonnay with an equally aromatic dish called Tuscan Chicken. Redolent with yellow, orange and red peppers, along with fennel and sweet onion, this delicious version of the Italian classic gets its creamy texture from butter and broth rather than cream. The sweet vegetables and rich sauce are the perfect match for this vintage of Olivet Lane.
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This medium-bodied, well-balanced wine from the Pellegrini family's vineyard offers tasty but subtle vanilla, fig, poached pear and toast flavors that blend beautifully on the palate, supported by a tangy, apricot note and touch of mouth-watering acidity. Best through 2030.
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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.