Whitman Cellars is a 5000 case winery located in the Walla Walla AVA. The winery sources and blends from multiple vineyards within the AVA. The 2003 Merlot is composed of 76% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2% Cabernet Franc. It was aged for 16 months in new French oak. Medium- to dark-ruby, it delivers an attractive bouquet of pain grille, pencil lead, cassis, and cherry. Soft and forward and uncomplicated on the palate, this is a seamless, plush Merlot for drinking now through 2015. Tel. (509) 529-1142; www.whitmancellars.com

This is pleasant drinking, with its soft, chalky, rather lightweight fruit, depending upon the barrels to provide added flavors of coffee, toast and chocolate. But in this rather standard Bordeaux blend there isn’t much to hang your hat on besides the oak, and the finish is a bit hot and chalky. ——P.G.(3/1/2007)—— 86