Winemaker's Notes:

Gloriously well-stuffed with concentrated black cherry fruit and loaded with very flashy oak this attention-getting Merlot carries the kind of depth range and richness to garner a place at the very head of the class. It relies on ripeness without wholly giving itself over to that ripeness and if slightly hot at the end it does not let up in richness or fruit at any point. Its evident tannins do argue against straightaway drinking however and five years of patient keeping are called for.