Mark S;
it's pretty much Mendocino County high desert, I'd say. Kind of place I'd be more inclined to bet on later-ripening grapes to make the most interesting wine. At Cole, I think those are Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon. (Cab Franc might be pretty nice there, I suspect.) I don't really think earlier-ripeners, i.e., the Pinots, Gamay, Chardonnay, et al, are the best choices. Mondeuse might be interesting, Roussanne, perhaps. If Poulsard is late, it might be of interest.
California's North Coast has, for the most part, sufficient overnight cooling, to assure the possibility of preserving a reasonable level of acidity, though one of the salient features of climate change has been a notable rise in overnight temps. But Alpine it ain't, by my reckoning.
Jeff; not Merlot, though I believe I recall a Merlot that wasn't bad, years back, from Chateau St Jean. Quite structured, probably far too ambitious, and definitely not pointed in the direction of charm.