The 2007 Merlot Klipsun Vineyard (100%) spent 32 months in 60% new French oak. It offers up an aromatic array of cedar, herbs and spices, incense, violets, cassis, and black currant leading to a medium to full-bodied, structured, potentially complex Merlot with savory flavors, ripe tannins, and a lengthy finish. It, too, will benefit from 3-4 years of additional bottle age and will be at its best from 2014 to 2022+. French ex-pat Marie-Eve Gilla is a partner and winemaker of Forgeron Cellars, located in Walla Walla. These are the finest wines I have tasted to date from this reliable source.Tel. (509) 522-9463; www.forgeroncellars.com

Released more than four years after harvest, this astringent, oaky Merlot remains in a dumb phase. Barrel flavors of bourbon and vanilla quickly take over the nose and the palate, though there is a suggestion of compact power and black fruit lurking in the background. Give it a lot of decanting time.——P.G.(4/1/2012)—— 88