Richard Hamilton’s 2002 Merlot Lot 148 won a gold medal at the Jimmy Watson Trophy Show in 2003, but I have a hard time understanding why. I suspect some of the finest Merlot practitioners (Clarendon Hills and Haan for example) refused to participate. The 2002 Merlot Lot 148 is a monolithic, medium-bodied, clipped effort displaying notes of herbs and berries, but little depth or finish. It requires consumption over the next several years. Importer: The Ravensvale Group (Jane Delaney), Greenwich, CT; tel. (800) 580-0052