2018 | Blankiet | Rive Droite

Gorgeous black cherries, currants, tobacco leaf, chocolate, chalky minerality, and cedar pencil notes give way to a full-bodied, seamless red with polished tannins, remarkable purity, and a great, great finish.

Reviews:

• James Suckling: The 2018 Merlot Rive Droite is another powerhouse in the lineup that has both richness and elegance in spades. Gorgeous black cherries, currants, tobacco leaf, chocolate, chalky minerality, and cedar pencil notes give way to a full-bodied, seamless red with polished tannins, remarkable purity, and a great, great finish. A killer Merlot-dominated blend that flirts with perfection, enjoy bottles any time over the coming 15-20 years. The blend is 96.1% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc. Hello, Gorgeous!

• Wine Advocate: Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Rive Droite Paradise Hills Vineyard is a blend of 96.1% Merlot and 3.9% Cabernet Franc. It delivers open-knit, compelling scents of Black Forest cake, preserved plums, blueberry compote and molten licorice with touches of garrigue, bay leaves, black olives and pencil shavings. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is charged with energetic black and blue fruits, supported by plush tannins and a lively backbone, finishing long and earthy.

Producer Information

Blankiet Estate is a wine producer established in 1996 in the Napa Valley, California. The estate vineyard, Paradise Hills, overlooks Yountville at the base of the Mayacamas Mountains, and is planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. The vineyard is perched on a steep slope above Dominus Estate's famous Napanook vineyard. The Paradise Hills is split into four parcels, each section distinguishable by its soils and climate. The vineyards face east, and have significant diurnal temperature variation that helps the grapes reach full phenolic ripeness while retaining acidity. Cabernet Sauvignon is planted in the parts of the vineyard that have porous volcanic soils, whereas Merlot is planted in soils of deep alluvial clay. Blankiet Estate employs viticulturist David Abreu and winemaker Helen Turley, who worked together to develop the vineyard, sourcing rootstocks, and grafting them with clones from first growth estates in Bordeaux. Harvest takes place as the parcels ripen, and everything is done by hand, from harvest, to inspection and sorting. The Grapes are cold macerated for a week before the fruit is warmed to kick-start alcoholic fermentation. The wines are regularly pumped-over during ferment and, once this is complete, the wine is transferred to new French oak barrels in a warm cellar for malolactic fermentation. After this period, the barrels are transferred to colder areas of the winery building for a two-year maturation period, before being bottled without filtration or fining.

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