Rodney Strong Vineyards, Merlot 2017

The 2017 vintage will not be soon forgotten. The all-time precipitation record was set by mid-April as rain swept like waves over the North Coast, filling all the lakes, ponds and reservoirs. As the rain clouds subsided and the sun appeared, the vineyards in the Russian River Valley endured six different heat waves at or above 100F, including a memorable 110F on Labor Day. We harvested the fruit from September 6 through October 20 to make this beautiful Sonoma County Merlot.