Blackbird Vineyards Arise Napa Valley Proprietary Red 2008
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Parker
Robert
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
38% Cabernet Sauvignon
20% Cabernet Franc.
The 2008 Arise welcomes you with complex aromatics of cherry, plum, bacon, tobacco, and subtle mint. Aged in French Oak barrels for 19 months, the well-integrated palate presents enticing flavors of cedar, earth, and toffee within multiple layers of rich, black fruits. Elegantly balanced with supple tannins, the mouthfeel is velvety and leads to a fine cocoa finish. Drinking well upon release, Arise will age beautifully with time in the cellar.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Also composed of primarily Merlot with small quantities of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, the 2008 Arise reveals a sweeter, chocolate/cocoa scent intermixed with abundant notes of black currants, cherries and subtle herbs. With silky tannins and a fleshy, sexy, opulent personality, the wine lingers in the mouth. Both the Illustration and Arise will drink nicely for a decade or more.
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Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.