1996 Gary Farrell Russian River Valley Merlot

Gary Farrell Wines was founded in 1982 by Garry Farrell, a Napa Valley winemaker and winemaking consultant. His first wines were 1982 Pinot Noirs from the now legendary Rochioli and Allen vineyards in the Russian River Valley. Farrell earned a reputation for outstanding Pinot Noir, Zinfandel and Chardonnay and built a winery overlooking the Russian River Valley in Healdsburg. In 2004 he sold his estate to The Vincraft Group, an investment group specializing in small, premium wineries. Today the estate makes Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah and Zinfandel.

Russian River Valley AVA is named for the river that meanders from Mendocino County in the north until it finally runs into the Pacific Ocean north of San Francisco. The AVA is cool thanks to its proximity to the northern California coast and the river, and grape growers must learn to deal with regular fog. Nevertheless in recent decades the AVA has become one of the best in the state, meaning that its wines often earn excellent reviews and have considerable cachet. The AVA status was awarded in 1983 and today the appellation has 15,000 vineyard acres. Chardonnay is the most widely planted grape though Pinot Noir has also been very successful in recent decades. Russian River Valley Pinot Noir are known for being rich, lush and filled with concentrated fruit and berry flavors. Russian River Pinot Noirs are today considered some of the best domestic Pinot Noirs.

The Merlot grape is such a deep blue that it is named for the blackbird. It’s an early ripening grape and one of the primary varietals used In Bordeaux. Merlot is also grown in the "International style," which is harvested later to bring out more tannins and body.