Sometime in 2012 (or thereabouts), Tapanappa released a tranche of museum wines, the 2004 Whalebone Merlot being one of them. I bought some. I drank them over time. They were sensational, with soft, plush, mineral, layers. I still (clearly) have very fine memories of them. Here, in the 2018 Cabernet Franc Merlot Whalebone Vineyard, I see the structure and the softness starting to poke through the firm wall of structure in the mouth, and I know this wine will evolve over the years to become a graceful, cohesive, elegant wine. For now, I believe it is still too young, yet all the building blocks for future pleasure are there. Reminiscence can be a dangerous thing.