2010 Merlot

 
Consensus: Drinking at what we think is its prime.
Les Garagistes Merlot
  • VINEYARD:
    Elephant Mountain Vineyard
  • pH AT BOTTLING: 3.61
  • ALCOHOL: 14.75%
  • Smells nice - rich merlot-ness, chocolate (cocoa!) and dark cherry, maybe a little tar. Good body, richness and finish. All of it marred by slightly bitter, drying oak, though. (This one spent too long in a new Hungarian oak barrel). If you decant and let sit, the tannins at first taste descend into the wine. Those on the finish do, too, but never disappear.
    — Matt, 6/27/16