2003 Napa Valley Merlot. Not my usual style at all, with round, black and red fruit-forward, is "fleshy" the right word? No umami here, really. Not "French" in style at all, but not wimpy. Yet, there was something hedonistically enjoyable about this Merlot. I really liked it! I bought a bottle for an upcoming Christmas party.
2003 Kathryn Hall Sacrashe Vineyard. Wow. A monster of a wine. Again, not my typical style, but the big tannins and lovely black fruit just suggested to me that there will be something very, very lovely from this wine in a few years. The standard Napa Valley Cab actually had more savoriness and herbs, but when I tried this single vineyard offering, I was thinking, for some unknown reason, about that fantastic Fay Vineyard 1997 Cab we drank on Saturday. I splurged.
