Spiced red plum, cigar box, fresh-picked boysenberry. Red licorice, sweet bell pepper, chocolate covered strawberry. A lively and vibrant parade of tart black raspberry, dark cherry, and mixed currants energetically collides with sagebrush, cinnamon, and scorched earth in a charmingly wild and youthful display. Notes of bougainvillea, lavender, and wildflowers provide wafts of lifted and lighthearted charm while dried mint, tobacco, cedar, and eucalyptus leaf reveal a complex medley of savory herbal underpinnings. A subtle dusting of nutmeg, coffee grounds, and cocoa powder exposes a pinch of restrained decadence while hints of asphalt, cast iron, and petrichor proclaim delightfully rugged earthy complexity. Terrifically juicy and alive on the palate with delicate yet substantial concentration; exhibiting wonderfully unmanipulated purity of both fruit and terroir within a classic and expressive package. Full bodied with elevated tannin firmly supported by bright acidity. This 2018 Foreman Vineyard Merlot by Vokel Cellars is a wonderfully unique, well made, and delicious red from Sonoma's Dry Creek Valley. 

Although primarily known as the home of some of the world's greatest old vine Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley is also the source of a plethora of exceptional wine made using a wide range of grape varieties. This bottling, crafted by Vokel Cellars using Merlot sourced the Foreman Vineyard in Dry Creek Valley, showcases this region's distinct warm climate terroir through the lens of a legendary Bordelais grape. Although still extremely young this wine exudes Dry Creek's textbook earthy charm alongside compelling spiced and herbal nuance spread across a backbone of ripe yet surprisingly juicy and tart fruit. It is both expressive and balanced with sufficient structure to carry it through a long life of complex development. Excellent.