The opaque ruby/purple-colored 1996 Merlot Reserve exhibits a smoky, chocolatey, toasty nose intermingled with copious quantities of berry fruit. Full-bodied, chewy, and opulently-textured, it is a textbook, lavishly-endowed Merlot to drink over the next 7-9 years. Readers should also note that it weighs in at 14% alcohol.