From the St-Émilion district, where merlot figures prominently in the blend, this wine certainly achieved full ripeness, pushing 14-per-cent alcohol. I think it's a tad overripe, actually, with sweetness and a whiff of cooked prune that threaten to nudge it over the ledge. It's a Bordeaux merlot trying to imitate a warm-climate southern-Rhône grenache, but it qualifies as a crowd pleaser. Drink now or over the next eight years. $28.95 in Que.