Tasting Notes for Blackbird Vineyards Illustration Proprietary Red 2006

Red Wines	Other Red Blends	Napa Valley	California

My Rating (circle) :

Date Printed: 6/20/2013

Blackbird Vineyards Illustration Proprietary Red 2006

(search item no. 98960)

collectible wine

Wine Spectator rating: 90 points
Connoisseurs' Guide rating: 90 points
PRICE ON 6/20/2013: $84.99

ratings pedigree (past vintages):
2009 International Wine Cellar rating: 93 points
2009 Wine Enthusiast rating: 92 points
2008 Wine Enthusiast rating: 93 points
2008 The Wine Advocate rating: 90 points
2007 Wine Enthusiast rating: 97 points
2007 The Wine Advocate rating: 92 points

Winemaker's Notes:

Optimal with decanting, this elegant, full-bodied wine unfolds with aromatic notes of black cherry, toffee, cocoa powder, iris flower, and subtle leather. Upon entry, the rich, focused core, with its boastful concentration, leads to intense flavors of brambled berries and roasted meat. Framed by persistent acidity and an elegant structure, the finish illustrates the wine's longevity.

Blend: 86% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon

My Notes:

About Blackbird Vineyards:

Perched to seize the day as Oak Knoll's foremost Merlot is Blackbird Vineyards, located in the heart of the district. Since 1999, this former walnut orchard, first planted with 5717 vines two years earlier, has quietly provided fruit to many of Napa's finest winemakers, for whom it has yielded astonishing reviews and stellar scorings. Purchased by entrepreneur Michael Polenske in 2003, Blackbird Vineyards is now an ultra premium label in its own right. (Fittingly, 'Merlot' is French patois for 'Little Blackbird.')