Plumpjack Merlot Napa Valley 2022 750ml

PlumpJack, the Oakville winery founded in 1995 by Gavin Newsom and Gordon Getty, is best known for its Cabernet, but its Merlot is a polished, crowd-pleasing companion. The 2022 blends fruit from Oak Knoll and Carneros, two cooler southern Napa districts that handled the vintage's late-summer heat wave well. James Suckling found it "fresh and polished for this hot vintage." Expect blackberry compote, blueberry, plum and ripe cherry with graphite, vanilla and mocha on a full-bodied, juicy palate with fine, supple tannins and a long finish. Delicious now for its plush, creamy texture, it should drink well through about 2032.