Our true Bordeaux Right Bank wine. Merlot with a touch of Cabernet Franc. This wine is gorgeously fruit forward with a core of minerality.
Review
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Vinous (Oct. 2015)
Review by Antonio Galloni
Rating: (95)
VIEWThe 2013 Rive Droite Paradise Hills Vineyard is the most expressive and open-knit of Blankiet’s flagship 2013s, and it is the only one of those wines I would even think about opening young. Dark, sensual and totally inviting, the Rive Droite benefits from the Merlot base to give the wine its soft contours and resonant, inviting personality.
Grapes Variety: 92% Merlot/8% Cabernet Franc
Blankiet fans will find much to admire in these current and upcoming releases. The 2012s continue to develop positively in bottle, while the 2013s capture the utter profoundness of this great Napa Valley vintage. But it is the 2014s that could turn out to be the most surprising wines in the three vintages spanning 2012-2014, as they exude brisk energy, striking aromatics and fabulous overall energy. Comparing the 2013s and 2014s here will be a fascinating exercise for many years to come. Proprietors Claude and Katherine Blankiet spare no expense to put only the very best in the bottle, while winemakers Denis and May-Britt Malbec continue to refine their approach to getting the most out of these pristine hillside vineyards. The flagship Proprietary Red and new 100% Cabernet Sauvignon Mythicus will get most of the attention, but readers should also take a look at the Prince of Hearts, which is one of Napa Valley’s very finest values in artisan, world-class wine.
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eRobertParker.com # 222 (Dec 2015)
Review by Robert M. Parker Jr.
Rating: (99)
VIEWBlankiet again hit a home run with his 2013 Rive Droite, which is 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc. There are only 300 cases of this, but it is another Petrus lookalike in Napa Valley (which is interesting, given that the next door vineyard is the Moueix-owned Dominus). Offering deep, dense, chocolaty notes with mocha, toffee, black cherry liqueur and even darker berry fruit, this is a wine of phenomenal intensity, with multi- dimensional mouthfeel and a finish of close to a minute. It is as close to perfection as a wine can get, and may eventually hit that three-digit score with another 1-2 years of bottle age. If you can find it, don’t miss it! It should drink well for 25-30+ years. It is hard to believe that Claude Blankiet’s first vintage was 1999. Of course, this is a fabulous vineyard that also looks marvelous from the famous Route 29. This is pure Yountville AVA on the eastern slopes of the Mayacamas Mountains, just above the valley floor vineyard of Christian Moueix’s Dominus. Blankiet’s blends are made by Denis Malbec, who also works not too far away as the consultant for Kapcsandy. These wines often need time in bottle to show their character, and I thought the 2012s performed even better than they did from barrel. The 2013s look incredible as well. These may be Blankiet’s two greatest vintages to date, even eclipsing the 2001s and 2002s.
Drink 2016 – 2046
