Best Buy! Airfield Estates winemaker Marcus Miller continues to excel with this bargain blend under his family’s second label, named for a cherished tree on their 900-acre ranch near Prosser, Wash. Rather than compiling it from nearly a dozen grape varieties as he did in 2012, he takes a Right Bank-style Bordeaux perspective with Merlot (41%), Cabernet Sauvignon (36%), Malbec (17%) and Petit Verdot. There’s black currant, dusty huckleberry, lavender, spice and coffee in the nose, along with the hint of the Malbec with Jolly Rancher grape candy. The fluid is a crowd pleaser and darker purple fruit flavors, picking up blueberry juice and blackberry along the way. Ample tannins and plums makes for a tasty finish.
Rating: Excellent
Production: 3,520 cases
Alcohol: 13.9%
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