Early last week, I had a Zoom tasting with the fine folks from Merriam Vineyards in the Russian River Valley. As I normally do, before the call, I did a bit of research and discovered that Peter Merriam, who founded the winery with his wife, Diana, is a native of the great state of Maine.

Some of you may recall that I my undergraduate studies in the Pine Tree State and I still consider it my second home state even though I only spent a few years there. Even though Peter and I do not share an alma mater (and worse, one of his children attended our biggest rival), I felt an immediate kinship once I heard his “DownEast” accent.

The connection was further solidified knowing that the two honeymooned in France and their love of wine and eventual purchase of a winery was fostered in the country where I have spent a large portion of my life.

As for the wines? They were pretty fantastic, top to bottom. 

2023 Merriam Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $30. Very Responsible Bottle (483g; 17oz). Under cork. Like the much larger valley to the east, there is not a ton of Sauvignon Blanc grown in the Russian River Valley. Much of what there once was has been supplanted with the more profitable Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. And that is too bad. For like the SBs that I have tried from Napa, it seems the variety can do quite well in the Russian River. Like this one. Pale, on the verge of clear, with plenty of fruit on the nose (lemon, Key lime) and the palate (more tree fruit here with Granny Smith apple and Bosc pear). There is also an ample, lip-smacking acidity but also a certain roundness or creaminess that I usually associate with spending time in concrete (although the website does not indicate such). Really a wonderful iteration of the variety and honestly a steal at thirty bucks. Excellent. 92 Points.

2022 Merriam Vineyards Fumé Blanc, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $42. Heavy Bottle (626g; 22.1oz). Under cork. Light to medium color with a lovely mélange of lemon curd and green apple and hints of seashell with considerable salinity. The palate is much rounder than your average Sauvignon Blanc and is much more akin to those lovely Sancerres that I adore. There is ample acidity here, too, but that roundness is the story, no doubt due to the 12 months in French oak (40% new). Simply put, this is a lovely wine, and plenty tasty, but it is not like most Sauvignon Blancs that you have tried. And that is fine and dandy with me as I am no fan of the super-tart, New Zealand style of the variety. Excellent. 90 Points.

2022 Merriam Vineyards Fumé Blanc Danielle’s Vineyard, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $30. Heavy Bottle (615g; 21.7oz). As I have mentioned countless times, I am no fan of Sauvignon Blanc, but this is particularly compelling (and how many Sauv Blanc vines are there in the Russian River?). More tree fruit than tropical on the nose with intense peach, pear, and even apricot. The palate is round and delicious, with a balancing acidity and an herbal note. Whoa. Tasting this wine, I wonder why is there so little Sauvignon in the Russian River? Outstanding. 93 Points.

2022 Merriam Vineyards Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $34. Heavy Bottle (606g; 21.3oz). Under cork. 200 cases. I have tasted close to a dozen Merriam wines over the last few vintages and the wines are solid top to bottom. As is this Russian River Chard. Even though it spends 11 months in Franch oak, 30% new, this does not come off as having a heavy oak influence. Instead, the lemon curd, salinity, a touch of white flower have more “air time” here on the nose. Sure, there is some oak there, butter, too, but this is a more reserved Chard. That changes slightly on the palate with a more pronounced oak presence but it is by no means heavy-handed. As a lover of all styles of Chardonnay, this clearly has a place and is delightful. Very Good. 89 Points.

2021 Merriam Vineyards Merlot Windacre, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $56. Very Heavy Bottle (736g; 25.9oz). Under cork. The Merriam Family is very proud about their sustainable practices and they should be. Admirable and laudable. But. This bottle is really freaking heavy. Really heavy. And that is not sustainable. At least in my opinion. As for the wine? When I said “Merlot” my wife said: “All I can think about is that movie.” She meant Sideways which is now 20 years old. Yeah. I get it. OK. Merlot. I would not say I am a lover of the variety, but, I love this wine. Great red and black fruit. tons of tartness, and enough complexity to make it, well, complex. Lovely. Excellent. 91 Points.

2021 Merriam Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Windacre, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $60. Very Heavy Bottle (736g; 25.9oz). 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Ugh. This bottle is really heavy, but I will try to focus on the wine. I was on a Zoom call with owner Peter Merriam and the winemaker, Will Weese. We chatted a bunch about soil types, clonal selection, and vineyard history. And it was all educational and even entertaining. But the bottle. There was talk about the difficulties of packaging and the like. I get it. It is not easy. But either you are all in on “sustainability” or you are not. The wine? Fantastic. Even more so. Great fruit, weight, complexity. But until you consider *all* aspects of winemaking? It is difficult to get behind all the organic/sustainability talk. Excellent. 92 Points.

2021 Merriam Vineyards “Right Bank”, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $84. Very Heavy Bottle (744g; 26.2oz). 65% Merlot, 15% Malbec, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot. Here we go again. When we tasted this wine during our Zoom tasting, the folks at Merriam during once again highlighted their dedication to organic farming and sustainability. Yet this bottle weighs about a Buick. Disconnect for sure. But the wine? Very nice. Fruity, quaffable, and very approachable, but also some complexity behind all that fruit. While this is far from a fruit bomb, it is certainly fruit-forward and seems to be made to drink now. Tannins are at a minimum but there is plenty of spice, acidity, and, well, fruit. Excellent. 92 Points.

2021 Merriam Vineyards Miktos, Russian River Valley, CA:: Retail $84, Very Heavy Bottle (736g; 25.9oz). 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 15% Malbec, 5% Petit Verdot. Under cork. Another top end wine from Merriam and another really heavy bottle. Sigh. I am going to get to work on it… As for the contents? Dark, but not brooding with oodles of spice and black fruit on the nose. The palate is inviting and tasty for sure, with plenty of the black fruit that the nose did portend. That dark fruit is paired with a zesty tang, that certainly matches the fruit step by step. There is a touch of silky tannins here that are certainly approachable, but indicate some cellaring is possible. But this is so tasty now, why wait? Excellent. 93 Points.