See, read, and share the centerfold page 75 of Wine Spectators photos and credits to wines especially Merrill Cellars “Cotes du Rogue” (limited amounts available) . Then for more juice note the top billing. I quote “Some of these growers are starting to push the boundaries.  Production remains small, but labels such as Merrill, Del Rio, Quady North, and Cowhorn craft compelling wines that justify their prices. For example, the Merrill Cellars (Henry IV) Cotes du Rogue 2008 (91/$35), a Syrah, Grenache, and Petite Sirah, dances lightly to a tune of blackberry and licorice flavors.” …”Those wines hold true to the same style that Oregon Pinot Noirs have established: relatively light, lively with acidity and focused on clarity of flavor. Someday, these Rogue Vlley releases might even challenge Pinot Noir for prominence in the state.” Harvey Steiman / Wine Spectator.

 There isn’t much of the 2008 left, but it is a special wine. I have a 2008 Syrah that rocks too! 

New releases end of February.

2011 Reserve Chardonnay , full body, and a touch of oak. Delicious.

2010 Reserve Petite Sirah, big and fruit forward, lots of tannins, very small batch.

2011 Reserve Viognier, same as our 2011 Artist except a year more age, dryer, caramel.

SPECIAL THANKS TO MY CHILDREN
and William Shakespeare

We at MERRILL CELLARS would like to thank the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon for bringing "The Plays of Shakespeare" to Oregon for 75 years. For it was the Festival bringing my daughters and myself to see Shakespeare, that inspired this winery adventure. Thank you, William Shakespeare, Natalie, and Eva. You are all part of this wine. "much ado about wine" is the catch phrase idea of daughter Eva Merrill. at age 9.

If you look closely at the Red dot on our "Reserve" wines you will see our initials. ONE. O. Jay Natalie Eva. Enjoy.

Welcome to MERRILL CELLARS. We hope to make your reading, shopping and sharing of our wine, enjoyable. 

As Robert Mondavi said in his Autobiography Harvest of Joy, "Wine to me is a passion. It's family and friends. It's warmth of heart and generosity of spirit. Wine is art. Wine is Culture. It's the essence of civilization and the art of living."

Whether you're at a outside music festival, or watching a sunset walking on the beach, savor the times of enjoyment you have. Enjoy a gourmet meal, or a simple picnic, but create a special memory today, with a special wine. We hope to fill that thought, to provide your wine, so you enjoy these things together. Life is not a badge of where you've been, or what you've collected, but of who you have become.

At MERRILL CELLARS, we could go on and on about our various "terroirs'", our award winning winemakers, our impeccable selection of grapes, our use of French and American oak barrels, or how we nuture the creation of wine. Instead, we believe the wines will speak for themselves, speak of the earth, show our care. Our wines are fine examples of classic style wines from the Rhone Valley, Burgundy, Bordeaux, and Oregon. We've entered wine festivals, collected a couple Platinum medals, and all the rest Gold or Best of Show. Our "Cotes du Rogue" was wine jury selected to represent the Independant Winemakers of the Northwest at the 2011 Portland Indie Wine Festival. Only 14 Wineries had such a honor. Amongst our fellow Rogue Valley Wineries we recieved the people's choice for Red wines at the Ashland Fall Food and Wine Classic.  Wine Spectator has rated five of our wines an average 90.20 points. Oregon Wine Geeks has rated every wine ever made and our average is 90.8 points. We are very proud to have these lofty results. We have TEN current wines with independent ratings of 90+.

MERRILL CELLARS has two brands of wine, our signature Artist Series featuring accomplished Oregon "plein air" artist Ken Roth, and our "Reserve" wines. We truly only give this Reserve designation to wines we feel are special wines from special vintages. All our wines are excellent, but some more so. The extraordinary Oregon landscapes by Ken Roth reflect a personality of each wine. Ken and I took time and care to choose the art that we felt best suited the style of wine inside.

While the Willamette Valley of Oregon is famous for it's Pinot Noir, and Pinot Gris, we feel the Rogue Valley should be equally famous for it's Syrah, Viognier, Grenache, and Rhone Blends. With these Rhone Varietals, we created our "Cotes du Rogue" style wines.

The variety of terriors from which we harvested our grapes vary from the hottest at 1200 feet elevation where harvest some of our Syrah and Viognier, to our coolest terrior at almost 2000 feet elevation. That is the Fortmiller Vineyard, home of some very nice Pinot Noir's. In 2011 we harvested Chardonnay, (that tastes amazing already) and "Merrilltage" our Bourdeaux Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot.
In 2012 we began our Tempranillo, and Steelhead Run Syrah.
Stay tuned for future updates.

Wine is our passion.  O.Jay Merrill  Vintner/CEO

check out: American Society of Enology and Viticulture, Oregon Wine  , Southern Oregon Wine Institute,  Ashland, Oregon, Jacksonville, Oregon, Portland Indie Wine Festival , Northwest Food and Wine Festval, SunFest Wine Festival NW Food and Wine Festival, Sisters Wine and Brew Fest, Southern Oregon Winery Association. Wine Spectator, Oregon Wine Geeks, 2012 SanFrancisco Wine Competitiion