Among the varietal wines, the 2004 Pedestal Merlot is made by the peripatetic Michel Rolland whose home base is Pomerol. His wine also contains small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, all the fruit sourced from several vineyards and AVAs with yields in the range of 1-2 tons per acre. The wine was aged in French oak for 23 months. Opaque purple in color, this superb Merlot offers a classic perfume of pain grille, spice box, black cherry, and blackberry. This is followed by a rich, intensely flavored wine with great depth, concentration, and length. All components are nicely integrated with enough underlying structure to support 5-7 years of further evolution. The long, pure finish suggests that this Merlot will drink well through 2040. Long Shadows is a winery begun by Alan Shoup, the long-time CEO of Stimson Lane and Chateau Ste.-Michelle. It is a consortium of seven different brands (labels), each with its own star winemaker who has a 25% share in the brand. The concept is that each “?is dedicated to producing a single Columbia Valley wine representing a ‘best of type’ that reflects the winemaker’s signature style.” Tel. (425) 467-9398; www.longshadows.com

Michel Rolland consults on this exceptional Merlot. The blend is 77% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Though not quite as supremely dark, dense and concentrated as the immense ’03, this silky wine is more elegant, with grace notes of licorice, citrus, coffee and plenty of tart strawberry and raspberry fruit.——P.G.(8/1/2007)—— 91