Pollard Pollard Vineyard Merlot 2018

Robin Pollard, former executive director of the Washington State Wine Commission (as well a renowned local coffee roaster!), released her first Pollard wine with her 2015 Pollard Vineyard Cabernet Franc. Teaming up with her life partner, Chris Camarda of Andrew Will Cellars, Robin is committed to expressing her high elevation Yakima Valley vineyard through Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Chris Camarda is also considered one of the great Washington State winemakers, and his deep understanding of the area is showcased in the Pollard project.

The fruit for Pollard wines come from Robin’s 10 acre estate vineyard located in the Upper Yakima Valley, which she purchased in 2014. The vineyard, sitting at 1150 feet on a southwest facing slope, is planted to half Cabernet Franc and one quarter each of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes in silt-loam soils. The 2018 Pollard Merlot is a rich, balanced wine of medium weight framed with a fine tannin structure. Layers of black cherry and plum accented by cedar and sage give it a very savory taste. 

Merlot (79%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (21%) from the Pollard Vineyard in upper Yakima Valley. Of the 10 acres of land under vine, roughly 3 acres are planted to Merlot. Soils are a mix of sandy loam with a limestone subsoil. The 2018 Merlot is matured in 20% new French oak. 

'I grew up on a farm in Iowa, the youngest of three daughters, trailing my Dad through the fields, trips to the feed mill, or hauling livestock to the sale barns. I gained an appreciation early on that farming is part skill and part luck, but that if you stick with it, it can be the most rewarding work in the world.

I went on to pursue an education in agriculture, graduating with a Master’s of Science degree from Northwest Missouri State University. Over the course of the years, I have had varied jobs that took me from the Midwest to the East Coast to Washington state. The common thread throughout was a love of the land and the food that comes from it.'

- Robin Pollard