Winemaker Notes
A blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Petite Sirah, and Petit Verdot, the wine is as complex and alluring as it sounds. Floral notes, herbs and spices, and scents of gravel and earth are seamlessly integrated with dark, ripe fruit aromas and flavors. Aged for 20 months in barrel, the wine is structured but accessible, and the combination of fruit, tannin, and acid is mouthwatering. The many layers in the glass will draw you in and keep you coming back for more.
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
We don't have anything in mind about what the final blend will be each year," winemaker Andy Erickson said about this Blacktail blend. "We want to create something that is unique to the place this year." The 2018 Blacktail Proprietary Red Blend MMXIII is composed of 27% Cabernet Franc, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Malbec, 23% Petite Sirah and 4% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it bursts with flamboyant blue fruits, plum preserves and black cherry compote notes, with hints of rose oil, Indian spices, camphor and pencil lead plus a waft of truffles. The intense, full-bodied palate delivers wonderfully ripe, rounded tannins with beautiful poise, leading to a long floral finish. Amazing wine!
-
Jeb Dunnuck
More of a red blend, the 2018 Proprietary Blend Blacktail is 27% Cabernet Franc, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Malbec, 23% Petite Sirah, and 4% Petit Verdot. It has a similar purple hue to go with lively notes of red, black, and blue fruits intermixed with plenty of leafy herbs, earth, violets, and spice-like aromas and flavors. Medium to full-bodied and elegant on the palate, with a lively texture, it carries plenty of richness yet also has a notable spine of tannins and acidity. Short-term cellaring is the name of the game here, but it's definitely more accessible than the Cabernet Sauvignon.
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.