This concentrated wine has a velvety texture, bright acidity, and firm, well-integrated tannins. The aroma is layered with red fruit, dried herbs, allspice, vanilla bean, and a hint of dust. On the palate, the flavors are dominated by dark red fruits, including ripe strawberries and dried cherries, with inviting accents of toasted oak, chocolate, and spice. In the late 1800s, the land that is now home to the Three Palms Vineyard was a residence for famed San Francisco socialite Lillie Hitchcock C...

77% Merlot; 14% Cabernet Sauvignon; 6% Cabernet Franc; 3% Petit Verdot. On the one hand a rich and fairly forthright wine in terms of its very ripe, oak-sweetened, black cherry fruit, this bottling is nonetheless fit with a full dose of mouth-drying tannins that preclude near-term enjoyment. Juicy, but gruff, it is destined to show well when paired with hearty meat dishes, but the better course is long cellaring.

Good deep ruby-red. Subdued nose hints at candied cherry, cola and oak spice. Sweeter and more chewy than the regular merlot, but with a strong oakiness to the dark cherry flavor. The wine's wood component gives the finish a slight bitter edge.

nice but not value for money