A shining example of Domaine A founder Peter Althaus’s approach to making merlot: only the finest batches of fruit make it into a single-variety release. On tasting the batches in 2018, Peter and winemaker Conor chose some standouts showing ‘smooth tannin, great depth—without being over-extracted—and complexity of fruit and savoury characters.’ The end product fits the bill, with great fruit presence (think rich bramble, spiced rose, cherry cola, blueberry compote and sarsaparilla) balanced against drying tannins and some light, spicy oak presence.