Columbia Winery 2005 Columbia Valley Merlot; Woodinville, WA

I am surprised. This is a delicious merlot. I don't usually go for Merlot, because of the cliche about them being too soft...but this one is great. Dark ruby edging toward purple, the color is beautiful. The nose is wonderful: violets and cherry. This wine is a heck of a lot more structured than I was anticipating- firm tannins surprise the unsuspecting palate and acid seems a bit high. This wine could probably stand up to a few more years of aging! The concentration is decent, and the palate way more complex than I was expecting. Dark fruits are the first flavors, kinda muddled, but then earthy tones come next, especially in the finish. Cedary, forest floor-y notes and more tannin dominate a lengthy finish...even more tannin as it sits, causing me to believe a couple more years of aging could really make this bottle interesting. All in all a solid bottle from this producer, and a good bargain at less than $12 most stores.