1995 Merryvale Profile

The two exceptional Profile cuvees should receive more attention from wine consumers. The outstanding 1995 Profile (14.5% alcohol) is made from 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc. It needs 4-5 years of cellaring, so readers looking for Cabernet-based wines with immediate accessibility should be forewarned. The wine exhibits an opaque purple color, followed by copious amounts of toasty, smoky, high quality new oak in the nose, along with equally impressive quantities of black currants, plums, and cherries. Deep and full-bodied, with high tannin but outstanding concentration, this is an impressively built, Bordeaux-like wine. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2020. Given the quality of Merryvale's wines, and the talent of winemaker Bob Levy, I am surprised this winery does not receive more attention. Their Profile Proprietary Red Wine ranks among the top three or four dozen red wines of northern California, and their Silhouette Chardonnay is a brilliant Burgundian-styled wine with extraordinary richness and complexity. Tel. (707) 963-2225; Fax (707) 963-1949