The 2006 Alpha Merlot Apalta Vineyard saw eighty percent of the wine spend 12 months in French oak, the balance in stainless steel. Dark ruby/purple in color, it has a stylish nose of cedar, spice box, red currants, and black currants. Supple-textured with ample ripe fruit, it has a bit of sweet tannin and attractive flavors leading to a medium length finish. Drink it over the next 4-6 years. Under the enlightened leadership of Aurelio Montes, the Montes winery remains one of the standard-bearers for Chilean wines. The Carmenere-based Purple Angel is one of the two or three best of its type; the Folly is arguably Chile’s finest Syrah, and the Montes Alpha M one of the Cabernet-based icons.Importer: TGIC, Woodland Hills, CA; tel. (800) 924-0300

A nicely polished Merlot, with plum, shaved vanilla and well-integrated herb and toast notes that all stay balanced through the medium-weight finish. Drink now. 25,000 cases made.??–JM??Region: Chile / Central Valley-Chile / Rapel / Colchagua Valley Select to Add