Long on optimally ripened black-cherries and filled out with lots of creamy oak spice, this generous, very well-stuffed Merlot hits the varietal mark smartly both in terms of its fruity definition and its supple, slightly fleshy feel. It is firmed by a nice bit of integral tannin with nary a hint of toughness, and, while it requires little in the way of aging, it has the structure to keep for more than a few years.