(November 9, 2016) … A 13 year old Merlot from Chile, from a reputable producer, what could go wrong there? Just about everything. This is a wine I spent the evening with just to see where it was heading (kinda like a blind date). Started off very smoky-oaky-black licorice with an oak driven finish … I kept wondering to myself “will this improve?” … Graphite notes turn to coffee adding black tea and currants; all with a pruney dried blueberry aftertaste. Starts to show signs of improvement after being open 30-45 minutes … but the finish remains the same and that was a little off-putting.