2013 St. Francis Merlot Reserve

The opaque purple 2013 Merlot Reserve spent 20 months in French oak. It has slightly more wood and tannin than its sibling, but wonderfully rich, concentrated, dark black cherry and blackcurrant fruit, stunning concentration, and world-class quality. What is so noticeable in this line-up of St. Francis wines is how much better the oak is integrated than it was 10 or 15 years ago. This wine will benefit from 5 years of cellaring and last three decades.