2006 Duckhorn Merlot 3L

Considering 2006 was a difficult year in northern California – a cool, rainy season punctuated by mid-summer heat spikes – this vintage was a standout to me when enjoyed in 2009, though it never received any great praise from critics. Some 12 years later, the colour is still a lurid ruby red, fading to pale ruby-garnet at the rim. Aromas of freshly turned earth, a hint of iodine and damp forest floor. The palate still has impressive grip, with delicate plum and sweet brandied cherry, dried tobacco leaf and black tea; alive, with a silken core of resolved tannins. Unfolds with notes of cured meat, white pepper and black truffle through a deep earthy finish and the subtlest hint red floras under a canopy of sweet oak. (Drink between 2021-2023)