Buty Winery, Columbia Valley (Washington) Merlot/ Cabernet Franc 2009

 Caleb Foster, Buty’s winemaker and part owner, loves to blend wines.  His Cabernet Sauvignon-Syrah blend (also reviewed this week) is masterful.  In that same vein is this Merlot-Cabernet Franc mixture, a blend that is popular in St. Emilion and Pomerol on Bordeaux’s right-bank.  Buty’s is ripe, but not sweet, with clear enticing herbal notes that remind you that wine can deliver so much more than just fruit flavors.  Young and vigorous now, its balance suggests it will develop beautifully (no pun intended) in the cellar.