100% Merlot

Food pairings: Beef or rack of lamb, cassoulet, duck with wild mushrooms, short ribs with chimichurri, roast veal and fillet mignon with peppercorn sauce.

Winemaking: Best barrels from the estate Merlot program; aged 22 months in French oak, 25% new.

Vineyards and terroir: Fruit from Blue Rock Estate Vineyard in Cloverdale, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County—hillside vines west of Geyserville on the estate's distinctive soils.

Family and history: Blue Rock Vineyard is an Alexander Valley estate known for Bordeaux varieties and its Best Barrels single-variety program, which bottlenecks the finest lots of Merlot, Cabernet and related grapes.

In the pictures: Studio bottle of Blue Rock Best Barrels (producer/retail bottle shot; no vintage on the front band).