I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the Merlots from 2010 were pretty incredible wines and this Leaning Post is no exception. 25 months in barrel may seem like a long time, but winemaker Ilya Senchuk was not convinced this wine was going to amount to anything more than a bulk sell-off. His wife saw it differently, and convinced him to keep it (happy wife, happy life) and the rest, as they say, is history. The nose doesn’t scream out of anything appealing but the palate more than makes up for that: smoky, blackberry, cassis and pepper with blueberry skin like tannins and a long luxurious finish. As wife Nadia said, “I just like to sit and sip on this one.” Amen sister. Price: $38.00 – Rating: ****