big and brawny, this is dry and hard in tannins, as nickel & nickel wines tend to be in youth. this one, from a cool section of southern napa valley, is brisk in acids, making it rather closed now. but it has a gigantic core of blackberries, with a delicious edge of dark chocolate. merlot is a difficult wine to age in california, but this one should improve over the next five years, maybe longer.
Suscol Ranch