The 2001 Merlot (100% Merlot, primarily from Oakville, with a small amount of fruit from the Rutherford appellation) was aged 18 months in both French and American wood. It is a full-bodied, big, chewy effort displaying copious amounts of black fruits intermixed with hints of flowers and chocolate. Enjoy it over the next decade. Saddleback Cellars: tel. (707) 944-1305; fax (707) 944-1325; Venge Winery: tel. (707) 967-1008