(1988 Vintage) A solid Merlot when young, it now sets cedar and a certain drying trend against vestigial hints of succulence, and its still evident tannins have not served it as well in aging as their size might have predicted.

(1988 Vintage)

(2003 Vintage) 11% Cabernet Sauvignon; 7% Petit Verdot; 7% Cab. Franc. Of the three Duckhorn Merlots tasted this month, this one stands just a slight bit apart from the others by dint of the suggestions of mint, heather and dried herbs that bring a different twist of complexity to its aromas. It is, however, very much in step with its kin when it comes its ripeness and very rich, cherry-like fruit, and, but for an undisguised flare of finishing heat, it would join its siblings with a two-star award.

(1981 Vintage) Fully mature and complex, this wine smells and tastes now forest floors as much as it does of varietal cherries, but it has a richness and freshness that signals a wine at its peak even as the telltale acid ending creeps in. In fact, all of these early wines are more acidy than is the current standard in California, and that is because the winery adjusted the pH balance and the acid to the norms of the day. The more lush style of the 1990s wines is a great improvement.

(1986 Vintage) Rating: 88/100 - As reviewed by Wine Spectator on 07/31/89