a pinch of hard tannins gives this bone-dry young wine an astringent toughness. it shows very fine, concentrated black-cherry, cocoa and crème de cassis flavors. aging in almost 100% new french oak adds notes of toast that the fruit easily tolerates. nearly all merlot, it's a wine of considerable volume, but nowhere near ready to drink. give it at least six years in a proper cellar, and it could be one of the rare merlot-based california wines capable of extended aging.
La Muse