2001 Macphail Dry Creek Merlot

MacPhail Family Wines was started in 2002 by James MacPhail, a Bay Area native with a background in the hotel industry. His interest in wine led him to start making small amounts of wine from sourced Russian River and Sonoma grapes and in 2008 he opened his own winemaking facility in Healdsburg. MacPhail makes 5,000 cases of wine annually concentrating on Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Rose.

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.