2018 Blankiet Proprietary Red Paradise Hills

The 2018 Proprietary Red Paradise Hills Vineyard has really shut down since I tasted it last year. Energetic and vibrant, the 2018 sizzles with all of the energy of this cool, late-ripening vintage. Time in the glass brings out all of the savory and mineral intensity that is such a signature of the Blankiet wines these days. Readers should be prepared to cellar the 2018 for at least another handful of years.

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is based on 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, and the rest close to an even split of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. A more brooding, backward wine, it reveals a dense purple hue to go with primordial notes of black and blue fruits, graphite, crushed stone, smoked tobacco, and a hint of violets. As with all these latest releases from Blankiet, the purity is just about off the charts, it's flawlessly balanced, and has ample structure as well as a great finish. This magical Cabernet is desperately in need of 4-6 years, if not a decade of bottle age, but will be very long-lived.

The 2018 Proprietary Red Paradise Hills Vineyard is super elegant and refined. A wine of extraordinary pedigree and nuance, the 2018 is class through and through. Bright acids perk up the dark red berry fruit, spice and floral notes. In 2018, the Proprietary Red stands out for its exquisite balance and class. Everything about the Prop Red speaks to finesse; the aromatics, fruit and tannin. Bright, salivating acids continue to emerge with time in the glass. Readers who open the 2018 young will want to give it a few hours of air. What a wine!