Blackbird Vineyards Illustration Proprietary Red 2011 Front Label
Blackbird Vineyards Illustration Proprietary Red 2011 Front Label

Winemaker Notes

The 2011 Illustration demonstrates elegant notes of cinnamon and black licorice, with opulent red fruit and iris aromas. The softly-structured mid-palate offers great density and abundant flavors of black cherry, tobacco and cedar. The finish is persistent in length with sophisticated tannins leading to a smooth mouth feel.

Professional Ratings

  • 93
    Based on Merlot, this Right Bank-style Bordeaux blend has rich, instantly likeable flavors of cherries, currants, cocoa, green olives and violets. New oak plays a prominent role, both in toasty flavors and in wood tannins. The wine feels softly tannic in the mouth, and will be fabulous now with a great steak, but it also will develop over the next 10–12 years.
Blackbird Vineyards

Blackbird Vineyards

View all products
Image for  content section
View all products
Image for Napa Valley Red Wine content section
View all products

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.

HNYBLBILL11C_2011 Item# 131150