51% Merlot, 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc

The Merlot is lush on the palate, and brimming with enticing aromas of briary fruit, black currant and spice. Mountain-grown Cabernet Sauvignon adds firm tannin and a long lingering finish - the iron fist inside the velvet Merlot glove - and the perfectly-ripe Cabernet Franc adds a touch of blueberry and a hint of Provencal herbs. Judicious use of oak allows the fruit to take center stage while adding nice structure to the chewy tannins.

94 Points, "Exceptional" (Wine & Spirits Magazine,  June 2007)"...Compressed into its cold, hard mountain tannins, this estate-grown cabernet, merlot, cabernet franc blend needs a day of air to reveal its foresty fruit. Given enough oxygen, it feels cool rather than cold, with dense, soil-inflected tannin that's powerful but can't completely hide the lush fruit underneath. It feels like it will live a long time, a wine to check on ten years from the vintage and likely to enjoy for many years after that."

91 points (Connoisseurs' Guide, July 2007) “It has been said that Cabernet Sauvignon is the signifying grape in wines from Bordeaux’s left bank, but this wine, despite the very high percentage of that latter grape, is essentially ruled by Merlot in both nose and mouth. One can find Cabernet influence in its hints of currant, but its ripe and round cherries at the forefront and the wine’s supple texture is all Merlot. It can be enjoyed now or laid away for up to half a decade.”

This wine was recently featured in our wine of the month club.