The purple-colored 2007 Merlot contains 7% Petit Verdot. The nose offers up a whiff of new oak along with scorched earth, mocha, black currant, blackberry, and a hint of chocolate. This leads to a medium to full-bodied, opulent wine with layered, savory fruit, succulent flavors, plenty of fine-grained tannin, and a lengthy, pure finish. It will continue to blossom over the next 5 years and present a drinking window extending from 2013 to 2022. Gary Figgins and son, Chris, keep tweaking things in the vineyards and cellar as they move toward totally biodynamic farming. As usual, their wines are benchmarks against which others must be measured. Tel. (509) 525-1428; www.leonetticellar.com

This is a floral take on Merlot, in both scents and flavors; owing at least in part to the inclusion of 7% Petit Verdot. The wine gathers strength and fleshes out as it warms in the glass, and layers in darker notes with smoke and coffee and tar. A steely style, muscular and tight, it smoothes out nicely with breathing time, and shows excellent aging potential.——P.G.(9/1/2009)—— 94