The 2016 Merlot Reserve, deep ruby-purple in the glass, is intensely scented of cassis, black plum, blueberries and blackberries with notes of blackcurrant bud, cedar, clove and violet. Medium to full-bodied, it's bold and broody in the mouth with firm, grainy tannins and satisfying freshness to lift the long, sweet-spice finish. Give this another couple of years in bottle. 510 cases produced.

The medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Merlot Reserve opens with blueberry compote, blackberry pie, mulberries and plum preserves with exotic spices and earth nuances. The palate is full-bodied and generous, chock-full of fruit and framed by firm tannins and a velvety texture, finishing lively and long. 600 cases produced.

Deep garnet-purple, the 2014 Merlot Reserve has an earthy/meaty nose of beef drippings and black loam over a core of preserved plums, blueberry preserves and Chinese five spice. Full-bodied, rich and velvety soft, it delivers mouth-filling baked berry and savory flavors with a long, spicy finish.

The opaque purple 2013 Merlot Reserve spent 20 months in French oak. It has slightly more wood and tannin than its sibling, but wonderfully rich, concentrated, dark black cherry and blackcurrant fruit, stunning concentration, and world-class quality. What is so noticeable in this line-up of St. Francis wines is how much better the oak is integrated than it was 10 or 15 years ago. This wine will benefit from 5 years of cellaring and last three decades.

The 2012 Merlot Reserve ratchets up the level of concentration, shows more oak, and also more juicy, succulent black cherry and blackberry fruit intermixed with a hint of white chocolate. It offers big fruit along with medium to full body and a nicely textured mouthfeel. Consume it over the next decade.