2021 Keenan Merlot Reserve, Mailbox Vineyard, Spring Mountain, Napa Valley
San Francisco Wine Panel 97 Points
Gorgeously fruity and impressively elegant, the aromas of this knockout mountain Merlot are redolent of red cherry, red plum, violet and rose, that rise above undercurrents of sweet tobacco, minerals and forest floor scents. The flavors are at once generous, forthcoming and of chiseled focus, while the finish is extremely long and it’s packed with the same bright fruit, along with scents of cedar, baking spice and tobacco. Already delicious and perfectly balanced for dinner service, it will grow ever finer over the next three years and cruse through five years after that and likely beyond.