2003 Ravens Wood, Merlot, Sonoma County

Medium dark. Cherry aromas on the nose. Nice black cherry fruit, with some smoke, moderate acid, solid structure, some hard tannins, and long fruity finish. This not your usual wimpy Merlot. It needs a few years of aging to soften out the hard tannins. People who drink Merlot because it is not tannic when young, should avoid this wine, but for everyone else this is a good value. List price $18.50. Should be discounted in the $12 to $15 range. 5600 cases produced. My rating 84.