The grapes used in the blend come from both Sonoma and Napa counties, and the resulting wine is a smorgasbord of flavors, ranging from raspberries to plums and from chocolate to vanillin oak. If it didn't say merlot on the label, one could confuse this wine for a cabernet. It's big and bold, and the fact that it's unfiltered allows all the aromas and flavors of the fruit to shine. It smells like a combination of coffee roastery at daybreak and mom's kitchen when she's baking a chocolate cake, and it's loaded with jammy fruit and smoky oak flavors. If you like the taste of fresh berries, you'll love this wine.
Balance is provided by just a hint of vanillin oak.
Like the Field Stone cabernet, a true bargain. That's the bad news. The good news is that wines like these tend to be gobbled up by restaurateurs, who include them on their wine lists.