Right away this wine smells of good black fruit with mild earth and herbal accents. It’s dark, sultry and pure, with black cherry, plum and cassis all vying for attention. While dark fruit is the star here, there’s also good balance, mouthfeel, depth and herbal offsets. In the end it’s about as good as you’re going to get in under-$15 Merlot from Chile or anywhere.——M.S.(7/1/2009)—— 88