2018 Prince of Music

My tasting at Blankiet was one of the highlights of the month I spent in Napa Valley last fall. The 2019s are marked by strong aromatic presence and a real sense of finesse. Winemaker Graeme MacDonald opted for slightly shorter macerations in 2019, as the wines extracted easily. Overall wines feel a bit less filled out than the 2018s, at least today, but they are impeccable in their proportion. Proprietors Claude and Katherine Blankiet have spared no expense in turning their property into a finely-tuned operation focused on high quality. That's exactly what comes through in the wines.

Proprietors Claude and Katherine Blankiet, along with winemaker Graeme MacDonald, turned out a brilliant set of wines in 2018. Not that I am surprised, as the barrel samples I tasted last year were promising. Over the last few years, the Blankiets have made a series of small improvements that, when taken together, result in wines of extraordinary finesse. Both 2018 and 2019 were marked by long, relaxed growing seasons, with harvests that took about six weeks to complete, over a series of small picks. At this stage, the 2019s seem to have a bit more depth and energy than the 2018s. It will be interesting to compare the two vintages in bottle at some point. Blankiet fans will note the addition of a new wine, the Prince of Music, a new entry-level blend meant to elevate the quality of the Prince of Hearts. I can't recommend these wines highly enough.