2003 Blankiet Estate Merlot Paradise Hills Vineyard

Saturated ruby-red. Sour cherry, plum, menthol, mocha and smoked meat on the nose. Less fleshy than the young 2004 but still round, large-scaled and mouthfilling, with considerable complexity. Finishes quite long, with substantial dusty tannins and excellent grip.

Ruby-red. Superripe aromas of black- and redcurrant, plum and bitter chocolate, lifted by exotic spices. Dense, lush, chewy and uncompromisingly dry, with flavors of dark berry, plum and chocolate, complicated by smoky oak, maple syrup and strong soil tones. Quite layered for 2003 merlot, especially so given the fact that these vines were planted in 1999 and that 2003 was generally a difficult vintage for merlot in the southern half of Napa Valley Finishes with big but fine tannins.

Saturated ruby. Black fruits and shoe polish on the nose. Lush, sweet and sexy, with dense, deep black fruit and licorice flavors. Almost magically long on the palate for merlot from young vines. The Blankiet merlot is planted on soil with a high clay content; it's also situated low on the hillside, where there's always good air movement. In 2003, this fruit was harvested before a sharp heat spike in mid-September.