Winemaker Notes: The 5% addition of Merlot, into the Cabernet Sauvignon, adds richness to the mouth feel and increases the aromatics of the wine. The color is opaque and the wine has very soft tannins, which allow the currant-blackberry flavors to take center stage on the palate. The conservative use of new French oak adds just the right amount of vanilla and spices, helping to enhance the aromatics of the wine. In their youth, all great Cabernet Sauvignons show their fruit first. Then, as bottle aging takes place, the wine more fully reveals its terroir.