Bought this a year ago for $12.71, had it tonight with green lentil chili (for the heck of it).

-a warm, moderately intense red, very clear with many thin legs.

-surprisingly intense nose that evolved in the glass: toasty oak (chips?), red and black licorice, red fruits, cream soda.

-not as much fruit as the nose suggests, restrained, tart raspberries, difficult to categorize; fairly dry with pleasant, subtle, well integrated acids, tannins expectedly light and fine grained; longer than expected finish, a bit bitter with dried cranberries.

-Could use a little more fruit character in my opinion, but otherwise a perfectly pleasant and unassuming merlot. It clashed with the chile (imagine that!).

Don't know what WS gave this- I'd say an 87 or 88. Not a bad QPR for a Sonoma merlot.

tbg, I've given up on Clos du Bois. In the 1970's, they were one of America's top wineries. Their 1974 Reserve Cabernet is one of the best American wines I've ever had. I haven't had an outstanding wine from them since 1978 and eventually ceased buying anything from them.