GAIL Pickberry Merlot 2021

Pickberry is a 30-acre vineyard on the northeast slope of Sonoma Mountain near Glen Ellen, California — a rolling hillside plot on volcanic soil where warm days and cool nights create ideal conditions for structured, expressive Merlot. Initially planted to Chardonnay in 1982, the block was field budded to the Pickberry clone of Merlot in 1996 using cuttings from an adjacent block.

This wine comes from firm, clay-based soils on the northern slopes of Sonoma Mountain, about 600 feet above sea level — a site that lends the wine its characteristic tension and depth. The Pickberry clone itself is prized for its concentration and aromatic complexity, making this a Merlot that rewards patience as much as it rewards an early pour.

Appellation: Sonoma Mountain | Vineyard: Pickberry | Elevation: ~600 ft | Soil: Volcanic, clay-based | Planted: 1996 (Pickberry clone)