'99 Sebastiani Sonoma County Merlot

[newsguy]

($12.99) 13.5% alcohol. bright ruby color, lightening into salmon at the rim with a hint of orange. full nose of black cherry, sweet oak, blackberries and hints of spice. taste of same dark fruits plus chocolate, with expresso kicking in on the expanding finish. rich, concentrated flavors with a fairly elegant mouthfeel. medium, slightly drying tannins. as you've guessed, this is a big merlot. i loved it, and think it's a fantastic value and still has plenty of life ahead. drink through 2007. 91 points.

[quijote]

Sounds fantastic; I love that flavor profile in wines. Will look for it.

[micpic8]

Look for the 2000 Sebasiani Merlot and Sonoma Cabernet. Sebastiani did not made a Cherryblock or Alexander Vally in 2000. The 2000 Merlot has all the Cherryblock juice in it, and the 2000 Cab has all the Alexander juice in it. Enjoy!!! Also the 2001 Alexander Cabernet is supposed to be Big.

[newsguy]

thanks for the tip, micpic. but i'm a little confused. u say the '00 merlot has all the cherryblock juice in it, but as far as i know sebastiani only makes a cherryblock cab. could u elaborate?

[micpic8]

Cherryblock is actually a blend of cab and merlot. They grow both cab and merlot in the Cherryblock Vineyard. I received the info about the 2000 merlot and cabernet from Sebastiani's Wine Manager for the eastcoast.