Blackbird Vineyards Illustration Proprietary Red 2009 Front Label
Blackbird Vineyards Illustration Proprietary Red 2009 Front Label

Winemaker Notes

The 2009 Illustration demonstrates elegant notes of cherry and toffee with long, luscious floral aromas. The well balanced mid-palate offers great density and abundant flavors of coffee and stone fruit. The finish is persistent in length with sophisticated tannins leading to a smooth mouth feel. Drinking well upon release, Illustration will age beautifully with time in the cellar. Blackbird's 2009 vintage wines showcase grapes farmed with an ideal hang time, offering wines with bright flavors, balanced sugars, and acidity.

81% Merlot - 16% Cabernet Franc - 3% Cabernet Sauvignon

Professional Ratings

  • 92
    This is a big, rich, vibrant wine, fruity enough to drink now...deliciously forward in cherry, currant, herb and new oak flavors. The wine shows a brisk acidity that makes it elegant and refined.
Blackbird Vineyards

Blackbird Vineyards

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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.

HOR72797_2009 Item# 132034