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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International Wine Report
Review by Joe D’Angelo
Rating: (99)
VIEWThe 2021 Paradise Hills Proprietary Red from Blankiet is a masterful wine in this vintage. It displays incredible purity, refinement, and elegance while maintaining a wonderful concentration. It opens slowly to beautiful aromas of ripe dark currants, spiced dark plums, graphite shavings, sweet pipe tobacco, and spring florals, which all develop with time in the glass. On the palate, this possesses a gorgeous, full-bodied texture that is incredibly structured with fine tannins that grip a firm hold. It possesses outstanding overall focus and definition. It impresses with its wonderful balance as bright acidity underlines the beautiful ripe fruit, accentuating the long, pretty finish. This utterly brilliant showing should become more captivating as it thrives in the cellar for decades. An absolute beauty from Blankiet.
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Jeb Dunnuck Report (Dec. 2023)
Review by Jeb Dunnuck
Rating: (97)
VIEWBased on 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Proprietary Red is absolutely stunning with its iron-laced darker fruits as well as nuances of chocolaty herbs, graphite, and leafy tobacco. Rich and full-bodied, it has a dense, concentrated mid-palate and ripe yet focused tannins that lend precision and length to the finish. It’s a stunning example of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon that will have 25+ years of overall longevity.
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Vinous
Review by Antonio Galloni
Rating: (99)
VIEWThe 2021 Proprietary Red Paradise Hills Vineyard is a mind-blowing, captivating wine. Black cherry, herbs, new leather, licorice, and spice all build as the 2021 fleshes out with time in the glass. All the elements are so well balanced. Floral accents and bright acids lend notable freshness throughout. A wine of persistence and energy more than of volume, the 2021 is all crystalline purity.
Blankiet was one of the highlights of my time in Napa Valley this fall. The 2021s are simply mind-blowing. Proprietors Katherine and Claude Blankiet richly deserve all the acclaim they will surely receive for these wines. The Blankiets have put in the time and money to realize their ambition of producing world-class wines. Along the way, they have made the mistakes that are typical of all new ventures but have always done what was needed to address those issues.
Winemaker Graeme MacDonald found a finely tuned machine when he took over for Denis and May-Britt Malbec and had the skill to make the necessary adjustments to reach the next level without drastically changing the wines. Yields were down about 15% in 2021. MacDonald gave the wines 40-50 days on the skins, which worked well.
I tasted the 2021s twice, once at the winery and a second time at home in New York, just to make sure I had not been overly seduced by the magic of Napa Valley during the fall. The wines were nothing short of thrilling on both occasions. This is the vintage that places Blankiet squarely among the most elite wineries in Napa Valley. Bravo!
From The 2021 Napa Valley Cabernets, Part One (Dec 2023) by Antonio Galloni
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TastingBook co-founder and best Nordic Sommelier (February 2024)
Review by Juha Linthonen
Rating: (98)
VIEW“Intense dark ruby red color. It has an elegant and refined nose with ripe brambles, dark chocolate, and a touch of violet notes. The full-bodied palate is rich and vibrant with satin-like tannins and harmoniously balanced ripe dark fruits. The lingering long finish is delicate and spicy with dark cocoa flavors. A beautiful wine which is surprisingly already approachable but will peak in 2028-2032.”
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The Wine Independent (July 2024)
Review by Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Rating: (97)
VIEWThe 2021 Paradise Hills Vineyard Proprietary Red is a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8.8% Merlot, 2.9% Cabernet Franc, and 2.3% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it charges out of the glass with pure notes of crushed blackcurrants, boysenberries, and wild blueberries leading to a compelling undercurrent of lavender, tapenade, and Darjeeling tea with hints of crushed rocks. The medium to full-bodied palate shimmers with energetic black and blue fruits framed by very fine-grained tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and savory.
