Villa's 2008 Reserve Merlot sports a deep ripe blackberry, blueberry and plum-scented bouquet with good definition, in fact, almost Medocian in style. The palate is ripe and full-bodied, dense red-berried fruit interlaced with vanillary oak, cleanly made, precise, perhaps lacking a little vivacity but is well-crafted. Drink now-2015. The clement weather during the 2009 vintage meant that Villa Maria's winemaking team faced a 20% above average crop. Bearing in mind the pitfalls of over-production in 2008, strict yield controls were imposed on each winery, with many lopping off a whole cane. Villa Maria continues to produce a strong diverse portfolio that embraces entry-level varietals to limited bottlings of single vineyards. As mentioned in previous reports their Pinot Noirs remain their Achilles heel in an otherwise impressive, diverse range. In particular, I feel that their Syrah are really coming into their own. I have included wines from Vidal and Esk Valley that are under the same umbrella, but treated separately. Importer: Ste Michelle Wine Estates, Woodinville, WA; tel. (800) 267-6793