A distinctive beauty if not the blockbuster of previous vintages. Light in texture but ripe in flavor with black cherry spice and vanilla notes ringing on the long finish which grows richer with each sip. Oak notes add depth. Best after 1999. 2400 cases made. –HS

The dark ruby/purple-colored 1995 Merlot offers aromas reminiscent of a deep dish cherry pie dusted with Asian spices, grated vanilla bean, and then topped-off with a healthy scoop of coffee ice cream. This thick, silky-textured, and intensely sweet (from glycerin not sugar) wine is lively, tangy, and immensely pleasing. Layers of candied red fruits awash in toasted oak spices bathe the palate. This offering's long and oily finish does not reveal any of the dryness one would expect from oak tannins. Drink it over the next 5 years. - Pierre Rovani