Mulled spices, ripe black cherries, graphite, and hints of chocolate emerge from the 2015 Merlot Northridge Vineyard. It's medium to full-bodied, pure, elegant and layered, with a seamless texture that continues to gain depth and richness with time in the glass. Brought up in 40% new oak, it's an elegant, gorgeous wine.

The 2015 Merlot Northridge Vineyard wafts from the glass with complex aromas of red and black fruit compote, candied peel, tobacco leaf and loamy soil. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, rich and chewy, with a sweet core of fruit that's complemented by plenty of savory complexity and a youthfully firm finish. This will need a few years in the cellar and should be worth following for a decade. - William Kelley