90 1999 Franciscan Napa Valley Merlot 10/31/03($17)
Color: Nice garnet. (3.0) Bouquet: Wonderful blackberries and crème de cassis with lead pencil complexity. Surprising concentration for the price.(3.5) Body: Solid middleweight and then some. Well balanced with lush, drink me now fruit (3.0) Flavor: Delicious blackberry and cassis paralleling bouquet, but not quite as exciting. (3.0) Finish: Parallels flavor, but shows a little alcohol edge, still relatively smooth and tasty.(2.5)
Overall: A fine example of the rich, lush style of California Merlot. The soil makes Napa Merlots the most interesting of California Merlots, in general, and this is an excellent example. Drink now to 2005. Great value!!(15.0)