Pristine bottle from WineBid. High fill and a tight firm cork that had no more than a half inch of staining. Double decanted off of relatively little sediment with a really excellent yield. The label appears designed to frustrate photography.
On the nose the wine is mostly tertiary but there is some plum and black cherry still poking through among the leaves, menthol, woods, forest floor, and damp earth.
On the palate the wine is gentle and a bit reserved but it still has plenty to give. The acidity is low-moderate and there is still a decent amount of stern, old-school tannin. The texture is silky and round. There is similar plummy fruit to the nose, some minty freshness, cedar box, and some mushroomy earth tones. Alcohol not noticeable.
This picked up steam with some air but is not on the level of the 1993 that I had some months ago, which was a really stellar wine. But it is a birth-year wine for me and a fine showing given the age and what I understand was a middling vintage in Napa. These old Bancroft Ranch Merlots have been a real treat.