Review by Antonio Galloni
Rating: (95-97+)
The 2010 Proprietary Red Paradise Hills Vineyard graces the palate with expressive dark red fruit supported by polished tannins. The 2010 is a steely, cool wine that should blossom beautifully with time in bottle. Today, it is simply dazzling. The blend is 84.1% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.4% Merlot, 1.1% Cabernet Franc and 0.4% Petit Verdot. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2030. (Not yet released) Claude and Katherine Blankiet have refined their approach over the last few years. Under the direction of Denis Malbec, the vines are now being farmed with the goal of keeping a more robust canopy in an effort to place less stress on the vines than has been the case in the recent past. In the cellar, Malbec is focusing on longer macerations and gentler extractions. He is also aging the component wines separately for a longer period of time, as opposed to Michel Rolland’s approach, which was to create the blends earlier. It will be fascinating to see what develops here. These hillside vineyards are some of the most pristine in the Valley. Readers who want to learn more about Blankiet Estate may want to take a look at my video interview with Claude Blankiet and Denis Malbec on www.erobertparker.com
Drink 2015 – 2030
