California Merlot's Mixed Bag

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for the Oct. 15, 2003 issue

See Also
Mondavi at the Crossroads
Washington's Sleek Reds
From Wheat to Wine
Orange Crush
Catching Up With ... Louis J. Foppiano
Italy's New Faces: Lamberto Frescobaldi
California Wine's Chief Advocate

A few stars from Napa Valley shine in 2000 amid some tough-edged wines

James Laube
Issue: October 15, 2003

Mia Klein knows Merlot. So does Bob Foley. In 2000, a challenging vintage that saw some vineyards hit by rain at harvest, Klein and Foley produced the two top-rated Merlots from California -- Klein under her Selene Napa Valley label (92 points, $38), while Foley made the Switchback Ridge Peterson Vineyard (92, $48), from a decade-old vineyard located near Calistoga, also in Napa.