1997 Napa Valley Merlot

Pahlmeyer's 1997 Merlot may be the finest Merlot ever produced in California. A profound blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, it offers gorgeous smoky, black cherry liqueur aromas mixed with melted fudge. The wine is unctuously-textured, super-concentrated, low in acidity, rich, and multilayered. This is a spectacular, hedonistic effort to drink over the next 15-20 years. Tel. (707) 255-2321; Fax (707) 255-6786

The finest proprietary red produced by Pahlmeyer to date is their 1997 (a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, and the rest Petit-Verdot, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec). Production is 3,300 cases, and the wine tips the scales at 14.7% alcohol. A super-rich, blockbuster effort, it exhibits an opaque purple color in addition to a fabulous bouquet of black fruits, espresso, cocoa, mocha, and flowers. A prodigious red, with low acidity, spectacular concentration, and fabulous purity as well as overall symmetry, it can be drunk now, but promises to last for 20-25 years. ||Tel. (707) 255-2321; Fax (707) 255-6786 Wine Advocate.December, 2000

Deep ruby. Pungent, sappy aromas of black cherry, black raspberry, toffee, mocha, mace and nutmeg. Thick, fat and ripe, with dark berry flavors complicated by a faint leathery quality. Conveys a strong impression of extract. Beautifully balanced. Very long on the aftertaste, with tannins reaching the entire palate.