Duckhorn Merlots from the Three Palms Vineyard have never been sparing in richness or wide-open fruit, and, while this version is long on the variety’s plumpness and charm, it reaches a bit further in terms of creamy complexity as well. Its layered mix of ripe cherries and sweet oak affords plenty of immediate appeal, and, if wonderfully supple, it is beautifully balanced and fit with a fine spine of tannin that provides a nice sense of grip and the potential for age. It is friendly stuff now and will grow with time, and a few years of waiting can be counted upon to make a very good thing even better.

From one of the best-known sites for the variety in the Napa Valley, this wine shows classic Merlot-structure, with an almost dusty quality to the well-integrated and resolved tannins. It discloses a density of red fruit that remains in balance with its more rugged minerality, remaining soft on the palate throughout. Drink now through 2025.