I was surprised to see that I had not opened a bottle of this in almost three years. Our friends Paula & Stuart (no, not that Stuart) were coming over & I was given a challenge of pouring a Merlot that Stuart (really, not that Stuart) would like. After more than 4 years of cellaring this is still very primary, with plummy, dark fruit, a healthy wallop of oak & rich, almost sappy flavors. After getting over the shock of how big it still is there's some mellowing going on in the background, but it's still a bruiser. It's got plenty of structure though, as well as some acidity hiding in a corner. It's no restaurant Merlot, that's for sure. It can probably stand another 3-5 years in the cellar to mellow out even further.
And Stuart (NO, NO, NOT THAT Stuart)...he liked it. He was shocked when I told him that the wine was mostly Merlot (we won't disclose the 25% Cabernet Sauvignon).