There is no shame in not knowing Mill Creek Vineyards. It is easy to miss.
This is a tiny, family-run operation covering 55 acres in Sonoma County. Its focus is on high-quality wines and has been since its founding in the 1960s. Jeremy Kreck is a third-generation winemaker: he and his extended family do it all themselves. This is pretty remarkable when most wineries outsource some (or all) elements of grape growing, winemaking, bottling, or sales.
A decadent and lush offering of drop-dead beautiful Merlot. Round and soft on the tongue, it offers up a complex potion of milk chocolate, rum raisin, and vanilla cola. This doesn’t mean it doesn’t have some serious bona fides, though. Aromas of graphite and currant and a finish of bay leaves and cherry stones show a level of sophistication that often is missing from such a luxury-driven wine.