Marilyn Merlot

Marilyn Merlot produced their first vintage in 1985. However, the story begins a few years prior. owners Bob & Donna Holder moved to Napa Valley from Berkeley in 1978. Neither were involved in wine at the time; Bob was an accountant and Donna was a librarian at St. Helena High School. Bob was a partner in the city of Napa based accounting firm Seiberlich & Co (he joined the firm in 1979). Besides Holder, its other partners included Gordon Seiberlich, Dale Brown and Jim Tidgewell. This accounting firm was founded in Calistoga in 1950. Now the oldest CPA firm in Napa Valley, they are still in business and are now known as G & J Seiberlich & Co. It wasn’t long before the Napa Valley allure eventually cast its wine spell over them; Bob became involved with the first Napa Valley Wine Auction held in 1981; he prepared their financial statement and tax return free of charge and continued to do so each year over the subsequent decades.

And along with a few friends, they began making home wine in 1980 starting with one barrel. Oddly, they started calling this home wine Cannibal Sauvignon – never produced it commercially and named the brand Maneater; one of their friends even designed the catchy label. Too bad they didn’t stumble across the name of one of the historic rancho’s in Napa Valley, Carne Humana. This all would have tied in perfectly with the names of their original home wines.

Several years later they bottled their own home-made Merlot and as good ideas often happen, was over a glass of wine. They came upon this name after drinking some of their own Merlot at dinner one evening (it was Donna who suggested this name). By that time, Holders also had some firsthand knowledge of the wine business. And in the early 1980s they also became partners for the first time in a commercial wine venture – Manzanita Cellars.

NOTE: Bob and Donna have since sold Marilyn Merlot; the current ownership is based in China and most of their current release wines are now being shipped to China.

Their first vintage was from 1985 made from purchased bulk wine; this was 2,500 cases. With such a catchy name and using images of Marilyn Merlot, after securing the licensing rights from the estate of Marilyn Merlot, the wines started to gain a variety of notoriety and publicity. One of their vintages was even highlighted in Life Magazine. From 1985 until 1996 bulk wine was purchased and then bottled; starting in 1997 Marilyn Merlot began purchasing grapes. Similar to collecting baseball cards, the Marilyn Merlot wines have attracted a dedicated collector base of wine enthusiasts.

The wine has been a phenomenal success and is now a collector’s wine, often specifically for the labels. Some of their earliest vintages are often fetching up to several thousand dollars per bottle, although current release wines are priced quite reasonably. Each vintage has a different image of Marilyn Monroe on the label. Marilyn Merlot was their first wine although today they make several different wines.

The ultimate collector within a collector’s wine is the Velvet Collection series. The first vintage dates from 2005; they stopped making this wine in 2012. A set of 10 very sexy sultry nude photos of Marilyn were taken in 1949 and each vintage has one of these photos on the label. We have seen some interesting labels during our Napa winery odyssey but this one takes the cake. Each label is a nude photo of Marilyn (covered appropriately for the label) and has what they call a “peel and peak” protective plastic layer which when removed reveals the entire un-covered photo. Each of these wines is only available in 1.5 liters and comes in its own special box and package.

And this is not the only collectible series of Marilyn Merlot made; like baseball cards, different wines with different Marilyn themes have been produced over the years.

The release date of all wines is always June 1st which is Marilyn’s birthday; each vintage usually sells out rather quickly. Their Norma Jean wines are very affordably priced and are marketed as “A Young Merlot” and features photos of a young Norma Jean before she took the name Marilyn Monroe. This is the only wine to feature non-Napa Valley grapes; the vineyard source is near the historic town of French Camp in California’s central valley.

Winemaker
Robert Pepi produces the Marilyn wines. Bob was winemaker and General Manager and along with his father ran Robert Pepi Winery for some 14 years, along the way earning accolades and excellent scores for their wine. They sold to Jackson Family Estates (Kendall Jackson) in 1994; their former home is now Cardinale Winery, a prominent winery located on top of a small knoll just south of Oakville.

Bob is a well-known consulting winemaker who has been involved in a consultation role with several wineries locally including Mario Andretti and Whitehall Lane. Internationally he has worked with Bodega Valentin Bianchi in Mendoza, Argentina for many years as and has also consulted for wineries in Chile, Texas and Colorado. As a result, every year Bob experiences two harvests. Not a bad gig at all. In fact, we caught up with him one afternoon just before he was flying down to Argentina.

Select wines/vintages
The Marilyn Merlot wines are crafted to be consumed in their youth – usually from release through about 5 years. However the labels are timeless. The focus of their Napa Valley production is from premium vineyards in Rutherford & Yountville including from Beckstoffer Vineyards. However, they do produce other wines from vineyard sites not located in Napa Valley.

Napa Valley Wines
The 2023 Norma Jeane Merlot Napa Valley is deep ruby in color; the bouquet offers aromas of dark raspberry, plum, cherry, Persian mulberry, red licorice, crushed pink peppercorn, cedar plank, rose petals, dried sage and a light note of basil and green tea. Its aromatics are both simultaneously fruity and savory. Fresh, bright and lively across the palate, it offers flavors of red cherry, Santa Rosa plum, currant, cranberry and dark raspberry. And these flavors are accompanied by some lighter layers of cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, sage and dried thyme. And a light note of white pepper and dried tobacco leaf. Juicy, vibrant and savory, the finish lingers red fruited with lightly gravelly but fully resolved tannins. Their gentle grip is expressed more on the front of the palate than the back. This wine like all the Norma Jeane bottlings is quick to be released and meant to be consumed early. 13.8% alcohol.

The 2019 Marilyn Merlot Napa Valley Merlot is deep ruby in color; for reference we tasted this wine 6 years post vintage. The bouquet is ripe and smells like dessert including blackberry pie, boysenberry jam, cassis, black licorice, baked plums, dark cherry, Pakistani mulberry on the edge of being over ripe, dark chocolate, a layer of sweet oak, tobacco spice, coca cola, mocha, cocoa powder and vanilla. From aromatics alone, we have no problem labeling this wine as a crowd pleaser. On the palate there are flavors of cherry, black currant, cherry, blackberry, dark plum and boysenberry. Plum is probably the most noticeable fruit flavor at this age. Lighter styled and easy drinking, the finish lingers with both fruit and rounded, ripe, chalky and pillowy textured tannins. A note of dried tobacco leaf completes the finish, but its more subtle compared to how it is expressed in the far older bottlings.

The 2003 Marilyn Merlot Napa Valley Merlot is 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon from grapes grown in Rutherford, Oakville and Yountville. This wine is deep tawny in color; entirely tertiary, the bouquet offers scents of old saddle leather, sweet tobacco, dark chocolate, caramel, toffee, burnt sugar, toast, old library book and loads of baking spices including cinnamon and cloves. Flat lined across the palate at this age, 22 years post vintage, its flavors include old leather (no we don’t find ourselves in the habit of chewing on old leather), pipe tobacco, dried cherries, dried currants, dried thyme and old coffee grinds. The tannins are so finely polished and resolved, their texture is perhaps like a gentle kiss from Marilyn herself. This wine finishes with a prominent note of dried tobacco leaf accompanied by a little bit of fruit somehow still holding on, almost entirely masked by its time in the bottle.

The 1997 Marilyn Merlot Napa Valley Merlot is a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc. This wine is deep tawny in color; for reference we needled and nosed this wine 28 years post vintage. The bouquet smells like old baseball mitt leather, dried tobacco leaf, old cigar box, potting soil, pencil shavings, cedar, dried sage, creosote bush and dark and savory (but not sweet) baking spices. At this age its tertiary characteristics far outpace its fruit. Additional aromatic notes include dried cherries and dried blackberries. And as the wines evolves further, it expresses a layer of toffee. Still very drinkable but light and linear at this age; the word we used to describe both flavor and texture was soft. Like the bouquet, its fruit has long since dissipated. Its flavors include dried blackberries, smoked cedar plank, dried herbs including sage, dusty cocoa powder and a lingering and probably the most dominating note on the palate, that of dried tobacco leaf. The tannins are felt subtly; their softness gently lingering, felt primarily on the front of the palate. 13.5% alcohol.

Non-Napa Valley Wines
The 2021 Norma Jeane Merlot California (Paso Robles) is blended with small amounts of Petit Verdot and Petite Syrah. This wine is deep ruby in color; spicy, flirty and wanting to play, the bouquet offers layers of red cherry, currant, raspberry, red plum, white pepper, dried sage, dried thyme and perhaps stretching things a bit, but an aromatic union that reminds us of a crawfish boil we attended years ago in the California Delta. And of all the Marilyn Merlot bottlings we have tried, this wine sports the most oak, both on the bouquet and the palate. Soft and supple from the entry to the finish, its flavors are dominated by red fruits including cherry, raspberry, currant and red plum. The tannins are light, rounded and seamlessly integrated into the supple finish. A lasting note of smoked cedar and dried tobacco leaf continues to persist – this tobacco character seems like it is a trademark character of the Marilyn Merlot red wines. Medium acidity, with a light red-fruited brightness. 13.4% alcohol.

The 2020 Norma Jeane Merlot California (Paso Robles) is blended with Petit Verdot from Lodi and Malbec from Napa Valley. This wine is deep ruby in color; immediatley upon opening, the dark and savory nose smells like forest floor, truffle oil, pipe tobacco, sweaty saddle leather, dark cherry, Satsuma plum, black currants, grilled meats, dried sage and white pepper. Given enough time in the glass, the fruit starts to displace these darker characters. Light and quaffable, there’s not too much offered in this vintage. Its flavors are more red fruited than dark showing notes of cherry, raspberry, Santa Rosa plum and strawberry. The tannins are lightly textured, fully coat the palate and linger with a light to moderate grip accompanied by notes of toasted oak and dried tobacco leaf. Both texture and flavor drop off quickly on the finish.

The 2015 Marilyn Sauvignon Blonde was sourced from Lake County; without knowing the exact vineyard source we would venture a guess this is from a Beckstoffer owned vineyard based on their previous established relationship with Andy Beckstoffer in sourcing grapes from his Rutherford vineyards for other wines. This wine is medium yellow in the glass with aromas of petrol, pear, and a lemon lime nuance. Rounded in texture, with a little sweetness, perhaps from the ripeness of fruit rather than residual sugar, the palate expresses flavors of apple, melon and grapefruit. Decent acidity.

The 2016 Marilyn California Chardonnay is deep golden in the glass; the bouquet offers zesty aromatics, freshly cut grass, notes of pineapple, lemon meringue along with a sweeter baking spice component. Rounded and texturally soft on the palate but not oaky, the wine shows flavors of popcorn butter, ripe tangerine and yellow pineapple. It finishes clean with a richness of and intensity of lingering flavors.

The Marilyn Monroe Red Wine from Mendocino County (non-vintage, 13.5% alcohol) is medium to dark purple in the glass with fruit forward aromatics; this union is an attractive layering of blackberry, plum and boysenberry. Its scents are a little jammy. Soft and supple across the palate with a darker fruit component to the flavors. Juicy with a firm and tighter grip of textured drying tannins. Lingers with both tannins, a noticeable mouthwatering juiciness and a darker spice note including nuances of peppercorn.

Napa Wine Co
All the wines for the Marilyn Merlot label are made at Napa Wine Col, located in Oakville directly next to Highway 29. For many years visitors to Napa Valley could taste current releases at what was Napa Wine Co’s Cult Tasting room; this is where we first tasted the Marilyn Merlot wines. But in early 2019 this tasting room closed to all the brands represented and now only features brands produced by the owners of Napa Wine Co.

This iconic winery is located at the corner of Highway 29 and the Oakville Crossroad (within walking distance of the opposite corner located Oakville Grocery). This is one of Napa’s great wineries in both a historical and influential sense. The original winery on site, Nouveau Medoc dated back to 1877 and was founded by two Frenchman Jean Brun and Jean Chaix as the 9th bonded winery in all of California. Incidentally, several of the Chaix heirs still live in the valley, some of whom are involved in the wine business. In 1892, long time Napa Valley family the Bartoluccis built and owned another winery on site called Madonna Winery – Madonna Winery ultimately moved and has been located in the Carneros region to the south for decades.

Ownership has changed on the property over the years with notables being Louis Stralla, one of the founding members of the Napa Valley Vintners Association; he purchased the winery in 1940 and produced the Betsy Ross label here. In 1946 the property was sold by Stralla to Cella Vineyards of Fresno. Decades later, Chardonnay bottled under the famous Inglenook name was produced on site.

Another winery founded by Brun & Chaix in 1886 was on Howell Mountain; this was formerly Chateau Woltner, then Ladera and now Cade at 13th Vineyard. In the late 1880s employees would used a large mirror on site during the day and other lights at night to flash signals down to Napa Wine Co that they had just picked the grapes and were going to wagon them down to the production facilities at the Napa Wine Co site.

The Hoxsey family made an offer for what was called Oakville Winery in 1989, after Hublein had closed operations and put property on the market in 1986. The final deed of sale wasn’t completed until 1993. By 1995 the Hoxsey family had completed upgrades and renovations to the property opening up the production space to alternating proprietors (APs), brands that do not own their own physical winery. Their original winemakers were Randy Mason (Mason Cellars) and Jack Ryno. This is now one of largest and oldest custom crush facilities in Napa. Under a variety of programs, winemakers use the Napa Wine Co production space to make wine; typically 1000 gallons is the minimum per year which is equivalent to about 500 cases.

We have toured the various parts of their production facilities and barrel rooms; their production space is impressive and sizable with special areas separated for both red and white wine making, individual barrel rooms and two bottling lines. Their permit allows them to produce up to 1 million cases of wine per year.

As a result of their reputation for providing state of the art wine making equipment in a cooperative environment a number of wineries made their early vintages here (before they eventually built their own wineries). Some of the more well-known wineries who have made wine here include Bryant Family, Colgin Cellars, Pahlmeyer Wines & Marcassin.

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Unlike most Napa Valley wineries, there are older vintages for sale on their website. And those looking to collect additional Marilyn Merlot, including some older vintages can reference Aabalat Fine & Rare Wines located in Petaluma, CA. Aabalat only sells Marilyn Merlot wines with a full knowledge of their provenance, I.E. all wines they sell have been properly cellared since they were released.

For more information, to purchase wines including much older vintages and or to join the Marilyn Merlot mailing list, visit: www.marilynwines.com