Merlot – Shafer Napa 750ml

Tasting Note: A rich, explosive wine, the 2013 Merlot races across the palate with dark red and blue fruit, graphite, smoke, tobacco and menthol. Today, the 2013 is unusually firm, but it should start to soften with more time in barrel. White flowers, spices and plums are laced into the super-expressive finish. What a gorgeous wine this is. A splash of Petit Verdot rounds out the blend. Drinking window: 2016-2025. Score – 90-92+. (Antonio Galloni, vinous.com, Oct. 2014)