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Jay Miller - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
"Among the varietal wines, the 2004 Pedestal Merlot is made by the peripatetic Michel Rolland whose home base is Pomerol. His wine also contains small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, all the fruit sourced from several vineyards and AVAs with yields in the range of 1-2 tons per acre. The wine was aged in French oak for 23 months. Opaque purple in color, this superb Merlot offers a classic perfume of pain grille, spice box, black cherry, and blackberry. This is followed by a rich, intensely flavored wine with great depth, concentration, and length. All components are nicely integrated with enough underlying structure to support 5-7 years of further evolution. The long, pure finish suggests that this Merlot will drink well through 2040."