Quilceda Creek plans to discontinue its Merlot program with the current vintage. The 2006 Merlot contains 9.5% Cabernet Franc and 2.5% Petit Verdot. Purple-colored, it offers up an expressive nose of cedar, cinnamon, cassis, and black currant. This is followed by a rich, smooth-textured, savory wine with outstanding density and grip. Nicely balanced and lingering on the palate, it will continue to unwind for several more years and offer peak drinking from 2013 to 2021. In 1990, in Issue 69, after tasting a complete vertical of Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, I wrote that the winery was producing Washington’s (and possibly America’s) finest Cabernet Sauvignon. Little has changed in the intervening years. The winery has been upgraded and the portfolio has been expanded, while quality remains at the summit.As a postscript, I was able to taste barrel samples of the 2007 collection. The Golitzins describe it as an “exceptional vintage” a conclusion that I cannot dispute. The latest releases are from the 2006 vintage, a bit more challenging than 2005 or 2007, but a solid year by any standard.Tel. (360) 568-2389; www.quilcedacreek.com