1999 De Loach Vineyards OFS Merlot

De Loach Vineyards was founded by Cecil De Loach in the Russian River Valley in 1973. De Loach pioneered the growing of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the Russian River Valley, experimenting with rootstocks and soils at a time when few winemakers paid much attention to such aspects of winemaking, especially in the Russian River region. In 2003 De Loach was purchased by the Boisset family of Burgundy, who brought several generations of sustainable winemaking tradition to the estate. The Boissets have fully committed to eco-friendly farming and in 2008 the estate was certified as organic by California Certified Organic Farmers. In 2009 the estate earned its Demeter certification for biodynamic practices. De Loach makes Pinot Noir, Chardonnay 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.