2010 Rive Droite Merlot
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The 2010 Rive Droite Paradise Hills Vineyard (89.4% Merlot, 10.4% Cabernet Franc and a dollop of Petit Verdot) is a 300-case blend that tips the scale at 14.8% alcohol. Unlike most California Merlots that are sort of wishy-washy, lacking any real core, strength or structure, the Rive Droite is a robust, pedal-to-the-metal, earthy, meaty, super-concentrated Merlot with lots of structure and minerality. Notes of chocolate, grilled meats, roasted herbs, and espresso beans are all present in this dense, thick, unctuously textured yet compelling wine that should hit its stride in 4-5 years, and last for 25-30. The Blankiet Estate owned by Claude and Katherine Blankiet is beautifully situated on the lower hillsides of the Mayacamas Mountains, just behind the large Napanook estate of Dominus. An enviable group of talented people have provided assistance here, beginning with David Abreu, Helen Turley and John Wetlaufer, followed by Michel Rolland, Martha McLellan, and more recently Denis Malbec. Production remains between 1,800 and 2,500 cases with nearly half of that devoted to their second wine, the Prince of Hearts. The other cuvees include the Proprietary Red (Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated) and the Rive Droite (a Pomerol / St.-Emilion look-a-like wine), and in 2012, they added a tiny, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon cuvee called Mythicus. I could be wrong, but it seems to me these wines, which performed very well, and are among the finest of the so-called “cult” wines of Napa Valley, remain under-the-radar. Perhaps that is due to the small production. The 2009s are all stunning. In the challenging 2011 vintage, the Blankiets along with their winemaker Denis Malbec have fashioned very good examples, although they are much lighter and less concentrated and authoritative than the top vintages. The 2012s are among the finest wines Blankiet has yet made. Tel. (707) 963-2001
Punteggi della critica
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Altre recensioni e punteggi
(a Right Bank blend based on 90% merlot): Dark medium ruby. Cooler on the nose than the Proprietary Red, offering sexy scents of blackberry, violet, licorice and leather. Then more opulent and open-knit on the palate, but with outstanding structure for a merlot-based wine. This utterly seamless example delivers insidious sweetness of fruit complicated by ineffable notes of wild herbs, licorice and spices. Very classy and long on the aftertaste, with wonderfully refined tannins. A great California merlot.
The 2010 Rive Droite Paradise Hills Vineyard is endowed with serious richness and depth, all backed up by an equally serious core of pure, saline-infused minerality. The Rive Droite is far from an easygoing Merlot-based wine, rather it is endowed with tons of structure and pure power. Today, the 2010 is incredibly young. I don't see it giving much pleasure before the age of ten, but its balance is beyond impeccable. This is a dazzling effort that stands out for its pure energy. The 2010 is 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, with a drop of Petit Verdot.
(89.4% merlot, 10.4% cabernet franc and 0.2% petit verdot): Good full, bright ruby-red. Lovely high-pitched aromas of black cherry, violet and licorice. Lush on entry, then vibrant and gripping in the middle, with a firm edge of minerality and an element of dusty herbs giving pungent lift to the supple dark fruit flavors. Finishes extremely wine and subtle, with noble tannins and lively spicy perfume. A beauty in the making: I'm a sucker for this estate's superb merlot.