One of the six “Napa Valley Super-seconds” according to Robert M. Parker and Antonio Galloni. A Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc from barrels not culled for the flagship cuvées.
Review
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Vinous (Oct. 2015)
Review by Antonio Galloni
Rating: (93)
VIEWA real overachiever, the 2013 Prince of Hearts Paradise Hills Vineyard is deep and wonderfully expressive. Black cherry, plum, violets, cloves, leather and licorice meld together in a sumptuous, intense wine that over delivers on so many levels, one of them being price. The Prince of Hearts is a model of finesse and understatement. Readers who can find it should not hesitate. There are only a handful of wines that can match Prince of Hearts for value and pure pleasure. The blend is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot.
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: (90)
VIEWThe second wine, the 2013 Prince of Hearts (80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot) shows slightly more density than its 2012 counterpart. It has good fruit as well as some baking spices mixed with cedar wood, underbrush, black cherry and blackcurrant fruit and some new oak. Drink it over the next decade. 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 – 2026
