The deep ruby/purple-colored 2011 Merlot Blue Line offers lots of plum and sweet cherry notes, and no hints of herbaceousness or hollowness. It is a strong effort for this vintage, and should drink nicely for another 5-7 years. All three 2011 Blue Line cuvees looked to be lush, ripe, gorgeously fruity, pure wines with dense ruby/purple colors, lots of body and glycerin, and, surprisingly, normal alcohol levels. This appears to be a terrific vintage at Hourglass, but even at one year of age, these wines are still dominated by sensational levels of fruit. (RP)