Walla Walla Vintners Merlot Walla Walla Valley

Turpentine but not in a pleasant way. Perhaps this bottle is a few years too old?

Drinking at its peak. Cherries, tobacco, coffee, cedar, tar, green oive, dusty earth, and lead on the nose. Mature red fruit on the palate with lots of caramel-mocha-oak spice. Cherries, smoky plums, raspberries, and dreid herbs on the palate. Medium finish that was a little warm. Drink up...

Opened for 3 hours. Slightly volatile nose of pepper and licorice. Mouth of plum, bonox, aniseed with good height but not a lot of low. Also with apricot but goes into decline after a couple of hours. Excellent and full with good balance until then. Medium length finish of licorice. Drink in the next 3 years.

Beautifully balanced surprisingly complex merlot. Aromas of black currant, plum, sweet spices, vanilla, licorice and coffee. Flavors of cherry and red plum balanced with sweet spicy notes and hints of dried herbs and licorice. Nice lingering finish. Drinking very nice right now with enough structure to be strong through 2008.

Drinking very nice right now. Medium bodied, complex nose, long finish with notes of coffee and brown spice. Didn't make notes during tasting, but this was one of the WOTN. I look forward to drinking more from the cellar and will describe more specifically next time.