I thought the 2016 Pipe Down was quite an interesting feat of delicious wine making, but that was 2016 - who couldn't make wine in that year? Here we are a year later and winemaker Greg Yemen has done it ... again. Made from 35.2% fresh Merlot grapes – with 20.3% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6.3% Petit Verdot, and 38.2% Cabernet Franc aged in 23% new oak for 10 months and 48% of the wine goes through some form of drying (appassimento) - plum, black cherry, white pepper along with some subtle cedar and smoky nuances on the finish. There's a richness here, but it's not overpowering, it's just plain delicious.  Price: $22.00 - Rating: ****+