The 2008 Merlot offers attractive spice, cassis, and floral notes leading to a wine with savory flavors, a bit of structure, and a sense of elegance. It will deliver pleasure over the next 6-8 years. Andrew Will, located on Vashon Island, a short ferry-ride from Seattle, is where Chris Camarda fashions his blended, Bordeaux-style wines. Without prompting Camarda told me (as he did Lettie Teague in a Wall Street Journal interview) that business has been very difficult, that he is cutting production, and that in the 2008 vintage he has fashioned two varietal wines that can sell within the range that American wine consumers are willing to spend. That said, the current releases of Andrew Will wines from the 2007 vintage are as good as or better than anything Camarda has done before.Tel. (206) 463-9227; www.andrewwill.com

The 1996 Merlot is medium-to-dark ruby-colored and offers a Pomerol-like nose of red cherries and stewed tomatoes. Raspberries, cherries, and blueberries can be found in this awesomely textured and chewy wine. It is does not offer much complexity, but its luscious fruit and silky tannins are admirable. Drink it over the next 5 years.Note: The Andrew Will Winery is located in a residential neighborhood on Vashon Island. An ordinance prevents Anne and Chris Camarda from receiving visitors to the winery as it would impose on their neighbor's privacy.Tel. (206) 463-3290.

I tasted a brilliant line-up of wines from Andrew Will. No winery in America has made a series of Merlots as sumptuous and delicious as these 1995s. The 1995 Merlot reveals a healthy dark plum color, a big, spicy, chocolatey, blackberry-scented nose, lush, chocolate, caramel, and black-cherry flavors, medium body, admirable lushness and complexity, and a clean, pure, rich finish. It is a delicious Merlot to drink over the next 5-6 years. The Andrew Will offerings are exceptionally well-made. Tel. (206) 463-3290