This blend of 72% merlot and 28% cab is as compellingly perfect a Claret as we have ever made.  Concentrated dark flavors of black cherry, cedar, moist tobacco and forest floor are elevated by nuances of lavender and spice.  These pitch perfect merlot flavors are matched by the textural choreography.  The wine begins smooth and weighty followed by a lovely building energy balancing the tannin against the acid to create a powerful finish more reminiscent of a cab.  This structure seems to enhance the flavors that resonate both freshness, with pretty black fruit being dominant, and also darkness, with an array of savory nuance.  A Reserve Claret for the ages.