Blackbird Vineyards Paramour Napa Valley Proprietary Red 2012
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Franc (á la a St.-Emilion), the gorgeous 2012 Proprietary Red Paramour offers up notes of Christmas fruitcake, forest floor, mulberries, black cherries and currants. Full-bodied and beautifully fruity without a lot of weight, this is a beautiful example of a complex wine to drink over the next 10-12 years.
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Wine Enthusiast
Another fine proprietary red blend from this producer, this one holds a majority of Cabernet Franc with a sizable proportion of Merlot and smidgen of Cabernet Sauvignon. Winemaker Aaron Pott makes a statement in caramel and dark chocolate at the entry, followed by a structured, juicy and brooding palate of well-integrated tannins and firm, earthy red fruit.
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James Suckling
A soft and fruity red with blackberry, blueberry and spice character. Full body, velvety tannins and a flavorful finish. Drink or hold.
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Wine Spectator
This trim and focused version leads with dusty cedar and dried herb scents, with dark berry, mocha, licorice and spice notes, supported by fine-grained tannins and ending with a tapered finish. Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2028. 840 cases made.
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Connoisseurs' Guide
53% Cabernet Franc; 44% Merlot; 3% Cabernet Sauvignon. Once again an intense wine high in extract and loaded with deep and sustained fruit with highlights of cocoa, cola, earth and dried herbs affording it fine complexity, the 2012 Paramour impresses as being a somewhat more layered and far-reaching wine than its younger counterpart. While its high Merlot fraction shows in its slightly supple beginnings, its tannic finishing turn clearly warns off near-term drinking, and, although it will start to spread its wings in four or five years, an easy decade of positive growth lies ahead.
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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.