The 2017 Louis is a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored, it gives up notes of cedar chest, pencil lead and tilled soil over a core of baked plums and dried mulberries plus wafts of hoisin and spice box. Full-bodied, the palate is firm and chewy with a lively backbone cutting through the dense, muscular black fruits, finishing just a tad firm.