This is what right bank Bordeaux is all about. At its best, Merlot is as earthy as any wine, yet still offers a heaping helping of fruit. The 2019 has a nose of rich clay after a rain, violets, marionberry, and huckleberry, with touches of tobacco, baker’s chocolate, and saddle leather. The palate is full bodied and reaches every corner of the palate, with plentiful velvety tannins, loads of black and blue berries and clay-scented earth. The finish picks up a touch of orange oil added to broad strokes of earth and oak spice.