2011 Rive Droite Paradise Hills Vineyard

Claude Blankiet described 2011 as "a vintage of pinot noir grand cru," adding, "We like light, delicate wines, and the 2011s are certainly intense enough."A significant percentage of the estate's production was eliminated on the sorting table.Winemaker Denis Malbec noted that back-blending some 2012 wine into the 2011s was not constructive and therefore was not done--"It just added heaviness," he explained.Although many producers admitted to adding the maximum permitted amount of 2012, many others were in agreement with Malbec that the two vintages did not combine well.Incidentally, the Blankiet wines were once aged entirely in Taransaud barrels, but today the percentage is about 60% and four or five other coopers (e.g., Hermitage and Boutes) are used.

Claude and Katherine Blankiet spared no expense in making the best 2011s possible, and the results bear that out. Readers might enjoy this video, which was shot during the 2011 harvest. Among the 2011s, I can't ignore the entry-level Prince of Hearts, which is one of the best Napa Valley wines in its price range. Overall, the 2011s are delicate, perfumed and impeccably balanced. The 2012s are also fabulous - readers may wish to watch videos from the archive of the 2012 harvest and a tasting of the 2012s shortly after bottling. Blankiet fans will note a new wine, the 100% Cabernet Sauvignon Mythicus, which may become a permanent addition. I also had a chance to taste a few 2013s from tank. The transformation that has taken place at Blankiet over the last few years under the direction of Denis and May-Britt Malbec is remarkable.

The tricky 2011 harvest required the team here to pick on 14 different occasions, from the beginning of October through the first week of November.Merlot on the valley floor was more fragile and good drainage was critical in '11, noted Claude Blankiet, adding that his cabernet sauvignon on volcanic ash soil in the upper part of his vineyard drained well.Moreover, it was mostly valley floor vineyards that faced botrytis pressure beginning at bloom.Incidentally, 2010 was the first year for which consulting winemaker Denis Malbec was responsible from start to finish.Since his start at Blankiet the estate has done a stricter selection of fruit going into their two top bottlings.Although the base blends for the estate's top two bottlings are made very early, they are finished very late and barrels can be declassified at any time.

Claude and Katherine Blankiet have spared no expense in their goal to make world-class wines, and it shows in these magnificent new releases. One of the biggest changes at Blankiet over the last few years has been the creation of a second wine, Prince of Hearts, first released with the 2008 vintage. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that the creation of a second label is one of the main reasons quality has been so exceptional here, especially in the last few years, none of which has been easy. Prince of Hearts, with its production between 600-1,000 cases, is all or mostly juice that used to end up in the Rive Droite and Proprietary Red. Readers who want to learn more about Blankiet might like to take a look at my videos of the 2011 and 2012 harvests.