What a beautiful wine. It has Merlot’s fleshy softness, but with a firm structure of finely ground tannins. Flavorwise, it packs cherry, blackberry, plum, coffee and cocoa flavors, with oak contributing a rich overlay of sweet vanilla and char. Drink now in its exuberant youth. ——S.H.(11/1/2005)—— 92

Back in the ‘70s, this winery specialized in Merlot and helped put it on the fine wine map. This wine, in a thick, heavy bottle, is elegant, complex and probably ageable. It’s fairly tannic, but possesses a molten core of cherry and mocha fruit and a lilting balance that bode well for the future. Now through 2010.——S.H.(4/1/2005)—— 94

Aromas of dark chocolate, licorice, cedar and spice open this burly wine. Tart black cherry and ample oak show on the palate, but the wine is rather closed now and will benefit from two to four years of aging. Closes long, with a chocolate note and big tannins that need some time to resolve.——W.E.(11/1/2001)—— 90