Our Bordeaux Medoc blend of predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. This wine is sheer power in a silk glove.
Review
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Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
Review by Stephen Tanzer
Rating: (94-97)
VIEW(a 60/40 blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot) Saturated ruby. Wonderfully complex nose melds blackberry, black- and redcurrant, coffee, tobacco, licorice, graphite, game and spices; quite claret-like. Large-scaled, lush and compellingly sweet but with an early harmoniousness of elements that gives it a wonderfully light touch. Combines great breadth with terrific inner-mouth energy and freshness. The substantial but extremely fine-grained tannins hit the palate very late, allowing the wine’s highly complex flavors to expand and linger. ) Dark ruby-red. Vibrant, complex nose combines currant, minerals, tobacco and brown spices. Wonderfully sweet, lush and fine-grained, with its silky texture enlivened by compelling inner-mouth perfume. Intriguing mineral and licorice notes add to the complexity of this very deep, layered wine, which finishes with spreading tannins and outstanding length. Large-scaled and rather powerful but with a lovely light touch. A superb 2006.
The plan as of March was to wait until December or January to bottle this wine, which promises to be the best release yet from this estate.
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Wine Advocate # 180 (Dec. 2008)
Review by Robert Parker
Rating: (96)
VIEWThe gorgeous 2006 Proprietary Red Wine (a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot) exhibits aromas of melted chocolate, espresso roast, mocha, blackberries, and black cherries along with a full-bodied, intense mouthfeel, sweet tannins, and a note of scorched earth/burning embers, which brings to mind a rich vintage from the northern Graves area of Bordeaux. This stunning 2006 is already revealing secondary nuances as well as significant complexity. It should drink well for two decades or more. (Release date Fall 2009)
This small artisanal producer turns out around 900 cases of wine from a beautiful hillside site behind Dominus large Napanook Vineyard. Blankiets proprietary red is created under the guidance of Martha McClellan (the wife of Harlan Estates Bob Levy as well as the winemaker at Sloan). A Draconian selection process is practiced, and the wine is generally a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and small proportions of Cabernet Franc and Merlot. There is a 6-7 day pre-fermentation cold soak as well as 45-50 day extended maceration. Additionally, the Merlot is barrel-fermented. The wines style tends to be similar to a top-flight Graves from Bordeaux, only richer because of the thicker, juicier, darker, Napa Valley fruit.
Drink 2008 – 2028
