Michael Meisner

Recently I've been on a hunt for some good Merlots. I can actually remember the first Merlot that put me on, and made me a believer in this varietal which has received so much misdirected abuse over the past decade. It was by Adastra Vineyards, a very small family winery in Carneros. It had that backbone that some lack. The flavors of leather, tobacco, cherry and blackberry mingled together to bring out something special. That was when Merlot went to the top of my list, and I began hunting down producers around the Valley.