Merry Edwards, Russian River Valley (Sonoma County, California) Georganne 2011

With remarkable purity of fruit, this is another brilliant effort from Merry Edwards, the queen of California Pinot Noir. On the nose there is a whiff of violet, and subtle earthiness. On the palate the wine unfolds elegantly, showing layers of raspberry and blueberry fruit, the scent of mocha, and a hint of spice. On the finish there is real honest-to-goodness grip, which bodes well for the future evolution of this superb example of Russian River Valley Pinot that has obviously benefited from the deft skills of a master artisanal winemaker.