2001 Pahlmeyer Merlot

(includes 2% cabernet sauvignon) Full ruby. Superripe aromas of currant and chocolate liqueur, with a whiff of roasted meat. Huge, lush and gamey, with complex flavors of cassis, minerals, mulch, smoke and sweet herbs. Finishes with big, sweet tannins. A large-scaled wine that's more than simply a fruit bomb-but I'd want to drink this high-pH, high-alcohol merlot over the next four or five years.