Another finest to date is the 2016 Two Blondes Vineyard, which is 60% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Malbec, all aged 18 months in 25% new barrels. This full-bodied, incredibly elegant red offers a great perfume of leafy herbs, tobacco, dark earth, and cassis. It shows remarkable purity and elegance (the hallmark of the vintage), a terrific mid-palate, and a great finish. This is a sensational Yakima Valley Bordeaux blend that needs 3-5 years of bottle age and will evolve for two decades.

A blend of 60% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc, 16 % Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Malbec, the 2016 Two Blondes Vineyard is mainly red-fruited with a core of softer expressions, more delicate than the other red bottlings in the range. The florals and spices are elevated here with velvety, ripe red fruits on the medium to full-bodied palate, with a fresh, tart line that runs through the center and on to the finish. The wine has a long, delicate finish that wears its finesse seductively and pleasingly. Yum! 477 cases made.- AM

Bright ruby-red. Musky currant, blueberry, blackberry, graphite and dark chocolate on the nose, plus a whiff of dusty herbs. Plump and pliant but with nicely integrated acidity framing the flavors of redcurrant, dark chocolate, licorice, tobacco leaf, cedar and spices. Perhaps the most herbal of the 2016 red wines from Andrew Will but in a Bordeaux Merlot way. Lovely subtle fruit sweetness here, supported by harmonious oak. Finishes with suave, dusty tannins and very good sneaky length. Quite stylish--and balanced from the start. Not a powerhouse but I like the way the Merlot has not been overwhelmed by the other normally more structured and brooding Bordeaux varieties in the blend. -- Stephen Tanzer