Merlot
⏳ Drinking Window
2024 - 2032
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
roasted duck, grilled lamb chops, creamy mushroom risotto
✨ Technical Specifications
Owen Roe's Merlot showcases the exceptional structure and vibrant fruit character that have made Washington State a world-class region for this noble Bordeaux variety. Sourced primarily from premier, high-elevation vineyards in the Yakima Valley—where cool nights preserve natural acidity and warm days develop rich, concentrated flavors—this wine is crafted with minimal intervention. Winemaker David O'Reilly utilizes small-batch fermentation and traditional French oak aging to highlight the grape's natural complexity. Historically, Washington Merlot gained legendary status in the late 20th century, proving that the region's unique terroir could yield a Merlot with the structural backbone of Cabernet Sauvignon combined with the plush, velvety texture characteristic of the variety.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1999 by David and Angelica O'Reilly, Owen Roe is named in honor of the 17th-century Irish patriot Owen Roe O'Neill. Operating across the Pacific Northwest, the winery bridges Washington’s Yakima Valley and Oregon’s Willamette Valley, celebrating cool-climate microclimates, diverse volcanic and windblown loess soils, and dry, high-sunlight ripening conditions. Following a brief period under corporate ownership, the O'Reilly family repurchased the estate in 2024 to reassert their founding independent vision. The viticultural and cellar philosophy prioritizes rigorous low-yield vineyard management, hand harvesting, small-lot fermentations, and judicious use of French oak barrel aging to preserve varietal clarity and site-specific typicity. Sourcing from benchmark terroirs such as Red Willow and DuBrul, Owen Roe produces critically acclaimed single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Chardonnay alongside value-driven cuvées under their Sharecropper’s and Corvidae labels, delivering structured, cellar-worthy expressions marked by vibrant acidity and deep concentration.
🍇 Grapes
Merlot