2012 Keenan "Mernet" Spring Mountain District Bordeaux Blend

Michael Keenan grows merlot at his Mailbox Vineyard, a sloping block planted on rocky clay loam at 1,700 feet, blending it with cabernet sauvignon and a little franc for Mernet. It‰۪s a tightly structured Spring Mountain wine, tasting like a redwood grove-umami notes of black mushrooms and moist tree bark-dark, a little dank and earthy, with spice to sun it up. While the oak is a little prominent for now, that espresso scent will fade into the fresher, herbal character of the fruit as the wine ages.