Yet another exceptional effort from our "WINERY OF THE YEAR", this deep, handsome and very well-balanced Merlot is loaded with bright young fruit and makes expert use of sweet, slightly creamy oak as a complement to its essential message of rich, ripe cherries. Slightly supple, if still somewhat tannic, the wine avoids any tendency to softness and, instead, shows the kind of firmness and strength of structure that guarantee longevity and very positive development.

Note: WINERY OF THE YEAR is PRIDE MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS set at the top of Spring Mountain. From its dramatically sculpted terraces, Pride Mountain has burst to the top of winemaking ranks with three-star Merlot and Cabernet Reserves, a three-star Merlot, a three star Cabernet and a two-star Cabernet. The winery?s intent to increase output to 18,000 cases when all of its vineyards are in full production is good news for wine lovers.

BEST BUYS IN THE MARKET", Our pick of the bunch among Merlot values is quite simply one of the best Merlots tasted in the whole of last year and shows why its producer was named CGCW's "WINERY OF THE YEAR". The PRIDE MOUNTAIN 1996 is as long on fruit as it is impeccably balanced, and for all of its immediate beauty, it will age famously.