A 100% Cabernet Sauvignon selection from the best lots. The darkest of all our wines. Extraordinarily deep with powerful yet refined tannins. A wine for extended cellaring.
Review
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Wine Advocate
Review by Joe Czerwinski
Rating: (98)
VIEWDrink 2025 – 2045
“All Cabernet Sauvignon. A blend of blocks from the vineyard’s volcanic ash-derived soils, Blankiet’s 2022 Mythicvs Paradise Hills Vineyard is a showstopper! Cassis and pencil shavings, hints of black olive and cinnamon appear on the nose, while the palate is medium to full-bodied, expansive, and intense, creamy textured but almost light on its feet, with a long, softly dusty finish.”
Owner Claude Blankiet presaged our tasting of the 2022 by saying, “Heat is always the enemy of wine. We experienced this 20 years ago, trying to dry farm our vineyard and during a heat spike in September, our grapes shriveled in three days. We started experimenting with shade cloth in 2004 and now we have 75,000 linear feet protecting the fruiting zone, in addition we use tiny water misters that lowers the temperature by 10 degrees around the clusters. We used both systems in 2022 – It saved us.” While neighboring Dominus is not bottling any 2022, said Blankiet, “Our wines kept their freshness. Using the shade cloth as louvers – lowering and raising them – we were able to mitigate the excess of solar radiation without slowing ripening.” Blankiet said that some people opted to harvest early – the end of August or early September. “But here, when we tasted, the fruit wasn’t ripe,” he said, so we waited”
Winemaking consultant Graeme MacDonald, who began working with Blankiet in 2016, does a reasonably large saignée –about 20% — which goes toward the estate rosé, but he isn’t dogmatic about avoiding water additions. “The goal is always to pick perfectly, he said. “I don’t like acid adjustments because I think you can taste them later.” He also limits yeast nutrient additions to induce reduction. “If you get the picking decision right, you can avoid many of the adjustments,” he said. “I like being hands-off. I want to be the invisible winemaker if I can.” That said, MacDonald isn’t shy about discussing what he does do. “Since I have been here, the goal has been to bring out more tannin and structure. We do big saignées and 40 to 50 days macerations.”
The fruit is chilled to 24 degrees Fahrenheit to help with destemming , and there is a long cold soak (seven days or more), at the end of which he adds a ‘pied de cuve’ (native wild yeasts starter). A warm initial fermentation stage (above 90 degrees Fahrenheit), which he then backs off as alcohol levels rise, followed by an extended maceration under closed lids without further pump-overs (with temperatures as low as 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit).
“There is bitter chocolate that starts to come out, and that’s when you know you are done,” said MacDonald. “I like reduction because that’s how you get the graphite, the minerality to come out.”
During aging, he will do barrel swaps to avoid “over-seasoning”. Any particular lot is racked as needed and he slowly build the blends over the entire course of the élevage. By his own admission, he often has last-minute changes, like adding another gallon of Petit Verdot into the blending tank.
“Wine is man and technique, science and nature” said Blankiet. “That’s the magic of wine.”
Published: Oct 17, 2024
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International Wine Report
Review by Joe D’Angelo
Rating: (100)
VIEWThe 2022 ‘Mythicvs’ is utterly breathtaking, showcasing the exceptional quality that Blankiet Estate is known for. Crafted entirely from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine is meticulously sourced from the best blocks of the Paradise Hills Vineyard, and it stands out as one of the most captivating wines I encounter from Napa each year. Upon opening, the wine reveals an incredibly perfumed aromatic profile, bursting with lush notes of ripe dark currants, vibrant blueberries, and succulent black cherries, which are intricately woven together with alluring nuances of graphite pencil shavings and exotic spices complemented by fresh dark florals, fragrant herbs, and hints of tobacco and crushed gravel that contribute to the complexity. On the palate, the ’Mythicvs’ is both full-bodied and graceful, exhibiting impeccable structure with well-defined, polished tannins that provide a solid backbone. Its impressive concentration and precision shine through as pure, ripe, dark fruits cascade effortlessly into a remarkably long finish. This stunning wine from Blankiet is undeniably impressive now, but its potential for further development makes it destined for a brilliant future, promising to evolve beautifully in the years to come. With each sip, it becomes clear that this 100% Cabernet Sauvignon is a perfect and a true testament to the artistry, science, and dedication behind Blankiet Estate.
Drink 2026 – 2050
