The first bottling under the R.Merlo label was
in 2004. Using the family name, Merlo -
Italian for blackbird - Ray and Robin are
now creating estate-grown wines that
represent their winemaking heritage in a
land they cherish – Hyampom Valley.
The Vineyards:
They planted the first vineyard in
Hyampom in the mid ‘80s; at that time
the Merlos were not directly involved in
the ownership. Traveling to Hyampom on
weekends was to help with the planting,
and the harvests. It wasn’t
until the late 90’s that the Merlos
entered into a formal partnership with
Meredith Vineyards, an established,
bonded winery.
Bix Lane-
Head Winemaker and Viticulturist
Born and raised in Hyampom, Bix Lane
knows what it takes to raise quality
crops in the south Trinity County
region. Throughout his childhood, his
family farmed organically, raising
garlic, fruit trees, and vegetables and
marketing them locally and in the Eureka
and Redding areas. Educated in the local
school system, Bix graduated
Salutatorian of Hayfork High School in
1997. He went on to study engineering at
UC Davis, but quickly found that his
passion remained in the cultivation of
soils and quality crops. His history
with farming, coupled with his family's
experience in home winemaking led Bix
into the study of viticulture and
enology. The more Bix learned about the
top winegrowing regions and their
characteristics, the more he understood
the true uniqueness of his own home
valley. Bix returned to the region in
2002 to focus on capturing the immense
viticultural potential of Hyampom
Valley.
The Wines:
At R. Merlo Estate Vineyards, the particular
characteristics of our Hyampom Valley
vineyards are carried through to the bottle.
Our vineyards have allowed us to make an
array of richly flavored and expressive
wines, all true to varietal character and
true to the land from which they come.
Unlike most California wines, these deep,
complex wines are not high in alcohol, nor
overripe in flavors. Rather, the red wines
reveal rich flavor themes with very large,
bold, yet smooth tannin structure. The
phenomenal skin structure of the fruit
results in opulent, dark colors, practically
impenetrable by light. The white wines
display bright vibrant flavors with crisp
natural acidity.
R. Merlo Estate Vineyards produces unique
varietal wines, all showing the
extraordinary terroir of Hyampom Valley.
AWARDS:
Pinot Noir, Trinity
County, 2005 – Gold
Medal, Best of Class
