($60) Medium red-ruby color. Sexy aromas of plum, cassis, red cherry, leather and nutty oak. Juicy, bright and sharply delineated, with excellent lift to the fruit-driven flavors of cherry, raspberry and currant. Finishes sweet and long, with youthfully firm tannins and noteworthy verve. Chris Figgins noted that there are some new merlot sources in this wine, to make up for crop lost to the frost in 2004. He also told me he preferred the 2003 version of this wine, as he thought there was a wider range of ripeness in 2004.

Professional content appears courtesy of Vinfolio

Though less powerful than the 2003, the aromatically floral 2004 Merlot holds its own in a qualitative comparison. Its nose of roses, wild berries, and cherries leads to a medium to full-bodied, pure core of spicy black cherries. An elegant yet full-flavored wine, it is a candidate for drinking over the next 8-9 years.

Professional content appears courtesy of Vinfolio

Plush, with gorgeous plum and berry aromas and flavors wrapped in a blanket of spicy oak and superfine tannins, persisting enticingly on the long finish. 2,900 cases made.

Professional content appears courtesy of Vinfolio