Love this merlot. Violets, roses, incense, and currants come to the fore on the nose. Full body and ultra-fine tannins that are so polished and integrated they become seamless and incredibly beautiful. Long and flavorful finish. Drink or hold. Long life ahead but who can wait?

The Merlot-dominated 2014 Roberta's Reserve (there's 3% Cabernet Franc) is all about finesse and elegance, revealing a semi-opaque ruby hue (no bricking) as well as a beautiful perfume of sweet red and black fruits, leafy tobacco, truffly earth, and subtle chocolaty, spicy, floral nuances. These all carry to a medium to full-bodied Merlot with a supple, elegant mouthfeel, resolved, soft tannins, no hard edges, and outstanding length. It's another 2014 that builds nicely with air, and while it's clearly in its prime drinking window, it has another decade or more of prime drinking and, I suspect, a gradual decline thereafter.

The 2014 Merlot Roberta’s Reserve, composed of 97% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc, has a deep garnet-purple color and is scented of warm plums, baked blackberries and blueberry pie with suggestions of spice cake, violets and licorice. Medium to full-bodied, rich, opulent and seductive in the mouth, it has mouth-filling black and blue fruit with oodles of exotic spices, framed by velvety tannins and great freshness, finishing long. - LPB

The 2014 Roberta’s Reserve is a total delight. Now at the beginning of its first plateau of maturity, the 2014 is showing beautifully. Cedar, sweet pipe tobacco, mint, dried cherry and coffee open in the super-expressive bouquet. Truffle, dried flowers, mint and mocha appear later to play off a core of dark Merlot fruit. A touch of Cabernet Franc completes the blend. At ten years of age, this is still a youngster. -- Antonio Galloni