LAST CALL on an Operative favorite! We featured this beauty twice already, the second round took some begging over the initial allocation and this very last opportunity comes together with a few more cases from the Coho library before the 2014 is released! Hurry, dear Operatives as it will sell out.

Prepare to get your socks knocked off by today’s Coho Wines 2013 Michael Black Vineyard Coombsville Napa Valley Merlot. Upon release, this Merlot blew our tasting panel away with its rich, intriguing nose, deep, dark fruits on the palate and smooth, supple tannins. This rich, hearty Merlot was made by one of our winemaking heroes, Philip Corallo-Titus and with a year plus in the bottle, it drinks supremely well today.

This is a profoundly dark Merlot with a blood-red heart encircled by a thin ring of ruby red. The wine has a very complex and intriguing nose with fresh earth, cacao, coffee bean, malt, and dried alfalfa. This Merlot is dark and gravelly on the palate with plum, currants, fruitcake, red beet, carrot, and cranberry. Excellently crafted supple tannin is the cornerstone of this well-balanced wine. It drinks incredibly smoothly with a graceful finish. Something bright would nicely contrast this wine - try spaghetti squash dressed with homemade pesto with fresh basil from the garden.

Wines from Philip’s namesake Titus label always sell out fast and are how we came to be acquainted with the intricately detailed winemaking of mister Titus. You may know Philips Titus from his two decades as winemaker of Chappellet Winery perched atop Pritchard Hill overlooking Napa Valley.

Here’s what the wine press has to say

93 Points – Dan Dawson’s Wine Advisor - “A stunningly good wine, the Coho Merlot Michael Black 2013 delivers a Right Bank Bordeaux aroma along with a Napa Valley ripe fruit and textural impact. Sweet and savory are in unison. There’s black licorice, espresso, oiled leather, black truffle and ripe cherry that starts dark red and moves to black as the wine breathes. Also, as it opens, the wine gets more bold, spicy and broader on the finish. Damn this is good.”

91 Points – James Suckling - “A Merlot showing aromas of plums, dried fruits and dark chocolate. This is dense with round, supple tannins and a slightly jammy finish. Drink now.”

91 Points – Connoisseurs’ Guide - “From its concentrated aromas of black cherries and creamy oak to its intense flavors, this inviting effort impresses with its richness and its fine fruity presence, and, at every stop, it shows the succulence unique to classic Merlot. It is full and supple yet never steers to softness and sports plenty of vitality and terrific palatal length, and, although a fairly big wine, it shows a careful winemaking hand. Those who can resist its immediate charms and leave it alone for another five of six years will be rewarded with a many-layered Merlot that successfully combines ripeness and grace as few do.”

90 Points – Wine Spectator - “Intense and juicy, with a finely layered array of red berry, plum and currant flavors that are well- structured. Shows plenty of minerality on the zesty finish. Drink now through 2021.”