تشارلز سميث فيلفيت ديفل مير

I usually prefer lighter reds but this Merlot surprised me—the dark cherry and blackberry flavors are bold without being jammy. It has a nice earthy finish that makes it perfect with a steak dinner.

That cedar and pipe tobacco really comes through on the finish, giving it a nice complexity for the price. I grabbed a second bottle before dinner was even over.

Opened it with dinner and the blackberry note hit right away, smooth and full without being heavy. The cedar comes through nicely on the finish, and it paired surprisingly well with a simple steak. Definitely grabbing another bottle.