2001 Merriam Sonoma Merlot Russian River Valley Windacre Vineyard, 95% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, $35, 14.1% alc.: Dark garnet color, fading to purple-pink at the rim; a judicious kiss of oak graces the rich (but not ripe) black currant and blackberry flavors and aromas, and the wine shows very good depth of fruit, being well structured and balanced. I especially like the fact that it is in no way a fruit bomb, and it even bears some little resemblance to its French cousins on the Right Bank. A solid California Merlot that rises well above the usual suspects that contribute to a sea of mediocrity for that varietal in the Golden State. 18 months in French oak, 40% new (1/2 Berger, 1/2 Bossuet), 1232 cases produced.  Find this wine

2002 Merriam Sonoma Merlot Russian River Valley Windacre Vineyard, 95% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, $30, 14.2% alc.: Dark garnet color; perhaps the most distinctive characteristic of this wine is the almost searing acidity, or at least that’s how it comes off when poured and paired immediately with a spinach frittata; however, with a little air after dinner, the acids tone down noticeably, and it becomes more user friendly. Medium full bodied, with rich, well proportioned and somewhat spicy red currant, berry and cherry flavors and aromas, moderate tannins, nice presence, good balance and length. Rather different in character from the 2001 model, but a nice super-middleweight Merlot in its own right. 100% French oak, 50% new, 50% 2-3 years old. 1830 cases produced.  Find this wine

From the Merriam Vineyards website: Merriam Vineyards’ 2001 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon is produced from three small, precisely farmed vineyards in two of the finest Cabernet Sauvignon growing regions in Sonoma. Rocky hillside vineyards stress the Cabernet vines, forcing intense flavors into the fruit. An elegant Cabernet Sauvignon from the famed Russian River and Dry Creek Valleys.

2001 Merriam Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon, 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, $35, 14.1% alc.: Deep dark garnet color, throwing a nose of dusty black currant and cassis, with undertones of cedar and balsa; the full bodied flavors echo with a bit of a green streak, and while there’s big fruit here, it’s not at all over the top. Good structure and length, and it seems to show more acids than tannins when first poured, but settles down with some air. Very good Cabernet character, and with some aeration, that little “green” distraction morphs into a subtle herbaceousness that adds another element to the personality of the wine. All French barrels, 40% new, 60% 2-3 years old, 170 cases produced.  Find this wine

From the Merriam Vineyards website: Merriam Vineyards’ 2003 “Block 21” Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is produced from one small precisely-farmed block of Cabernet Sauvignon in the Dry Creek Valley. T.R. Passalacqua Vineyards overlooks most of the Dry Creek Valley from high above the valley floor. This elegant Cabernet Sauvignon from “Block 21” sits at the highest point on this 100 acre parcel. Special attention is given to reduce crop load in addition to a minimalistic approach to watering and a lot of T.L.C.

2003 Merriam Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Block 21, 95% Block 21 Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% “Windacre” Merlot, $35, 14.6% alc.: Dark garnet color, with a blast of sweet oak cocoa-chocolate that relegates what seem to be red and black plums and currants to a supporting role, and in fact, the cocoa-chocolate is so dominant, it’s hard to identify any fruit component at first; underlying notes of tobacco and a certain herbaceousness add some complexity and interest. Full bodied, with deceptive structure, thanks mostly to the cocoa-chocolate camouflage. Just not a style that I favor, and I suspect that the 24 months in French oak isn’t the only problem here; this reeks of manipulation, reminding me of some Ch. St. Jean Cinq Cepages that I’ve had the misfortune to taste, although this isn’t quite THAT offensive. All French barrels, 40% new, 60% 2-3 years old, 565 cases produced. Find this wine

It’s rather disconcerting to taste the 2001 and 2003 Cabernet Sauvignons side by side; the ’01 shows balance and very good Cab character, while the ’03 gives too much of what I dislike about some California reds. What happened here?! True, the two wines were apparently sourced from different vineyards, but that doesn’t explain the rather drastic difference in styles between the two. Buy the ’01 if you enjoy balanced Cal Cab (and if you can find it); buy the ’03 if you like fruit bombs or chocolate milkshakes.

From the Merriam Vineyards website: Jones Vineyard is located in the heart of Dry Creek Valley’s bench land. Farmed by third generation grower Ray Teldechi, these 15 year old vines are some of Sonoma’s oldest, rarest and finest Cabernet Franc vines. Only the best vintages will be used for these bottlings of 100% Cabernet Franc.

2003 Merriam Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Franc Jones Vineyard, $45, 14.8% alc.: Dark garnet color, with a pretty black currant blackberry nose accented with a kiss of sweet oak; flavors echo, with an added note of creamy cocoa as well. Smooth, almost creamy on the palate, with nice balance of structure, fruit and oak, and nothing really overdone. This straddles the line for me; if it showed any more oak and cocoa, or perhaps if it were a little fatter, with less acidity, I wouldn’t like it, but as it is, I can drink and enjoy it with no problem. 100% French Oak, 30% new. 140 cases produced. Find this wine

2004 Merriam Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Franc Jones Vineyard, 95% Cabernet Franc , 5% Merlot, $45, 14.2% alc.: Dark garnet color, with sweet cassis and blackberry on the nose, which follow through on the palate with toast, coffee and earthy undertones Quite ripe, rather extracted and crossing the line for being over the top for this taster, with an almost liqueur-like quality about it. Deep, dark and intense, with fine tannins and moderate acidity at best, this isn’t exactly the kind of mutant aberration that the ’03 “Block 21” Cabernet Sauvignon comes off as being, but the extraction doesn't exactly make me feel all warm and fuzzy towards it either. 18 months in French Oak. 187 cases produced. Find this wine

Clearly, I like both of the Windacre Merlots and the earlier vintages of the two Cabs; they mostly avoid the excesses of the ’03 Block 21 Cabernet Sauvignon and the ’04 Jones Cab Franc. As for the latter two, I have friends who would enjoy them, and I suppose there’s a place for these kinds of extracted, in-your-face reds, but not in my cellar. I have other friends who would call them “spoofalated,” a term that refers to any wine that’s manipulated and/or over-oaked. The bottom line is, I like four out of six of these, but I’m left wondering whether future bottlings will show more balance or more spoof.

Reporting from Day-twah,