Merlot Blend, "Tinto Reserva," Viña Magaña, Navarra, Spain, 1997

Vital Signs: 50% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Tempranillo and 5% Syrah. Vines planted in 1970. Tended in limestone soil with river stones at 335 m (1,099 ft) elevation. After fermentation the wine is blended and aged for 24 months in French oak barrels.
Uncle Bill's Take: Merlot is a grape prone to excess, more chocolate-covered confection than wine in the wrong hands. But this very opulence can be wildly satisfying when sufficiently reined in. This is a perfect case in point, a love letter to the Right Bank with a Mediterranean spin.