Largely in the same style as the classic Merlot, the 2021 Merlot Vintner Select is 100% varietal and was raised 18 months in 45% new barrels. Redcurrants, red plums, smoked tobacco, and spicy wood notes all give way to a rich, medium to full-bodied, broad, and textured Merlot that has a touch more ripeness and structure than the base cuvee.

All Merlot, mainly Clone 3, Pride's 2021 Merlot Vintner's Select is dominated by scents of mocha and cherries. It's a nicely concentrated, medium to full-bodied effort, framed by firm, dusty tannins that suggest a certain amount of ageability, but it comes across as just slightly less complex than the Cabernet Sauvignon Vintner's Select.

Reviewed by

Joe Czerwinski