Delicious, velvety and mouth-filling, this wine could convert any merlot skeptic to being a fan. Mountain grown in the Stagecoach Vineyard and Waters Vineyard, it is intense and saturated with flavor, but wrapped in luscious tannins that tempt you to drink it now. Blueberries, creme de cassis, cherries, cream and mint. 100% merlot. Drinkable now, but best from 2028.

Winemaker Katie Vogt says the 2021 vintage proved to be an excellent year, with even ripening, no major heat waves, low yields, tons of intensity, and perfect fruit quality. A harmonious 100% Merlot with serious intensity but balanced with acid freshness and mineral richness. Pretty lovely black cherry, plum, and blueberry fruit aromatics with sagebrush layered in. A soft and plush mouthfeel envelops the palate with a core of dense fruit flavours redolent of mountain-grown blackberries and spiced plums. The tannins are fine and powdery and build on the finish, gaining volume and intensity. A lovely, balanced, and delicious red. Aged 18 months in 90% new French Oak.

A blend of fruit from Stagecoach and Waters Ranch (Pahlmeyer's estate vineyard), the 2021 Merlot is a real beauty. Scents of menthol, cedar and a hint of mocha accent the ripe black cherry core, while the full-bodied palate is concentrated and expansive, with a plush, velvety texture that extends through the long, mocha and meat-tinged finish. - Joe Czerwinski

(93-95 points) The single-varietal 2021 Merlot comes 62% from Waters Ranch and 38% from Stagecoach Vineyard and is due to be bottled very soon. Deep garnet-purple in color, it comes barreling out of the glass with bold expressions of juicy blueberries, Morello cherries, and wild blueberries, leading to wafts of rose oil, cardamom, and cumin seed with a waft of fragrant soil. The full-bodied palate delivers a very fine-grained yet firm backbone of ripe, rounded tannins and beautiful tension to support the black fruit and floral layers, finishing long with a spicy lift.

The 2021 Merlot is a potent, explosive wine with tons of textural intensity and power. Black-toned fruit, sage, espresso, chocolate, licorice and copious new oak all stain the palate. Hints of graphite and savory notes add cool-toned complexity. More than anything else, this is most definitely a mountain wine. It would be pretty hard to peg as Merlot, except for the contours. -- Antonio Galloni

Delivering power through poise, this Merlot offers flavors of blue and black fruits with pleasing spices. An additional layer of earthiness brings depth. The tannins here melt in the mouth, balanced by juicy acidity that carries into a long finish. Full-bodied, mouthwatering, and delicious. — Elaine Chukan Brown