Blankiet Estate
Rive Droite Red Bordeaux Blend
Napa Valley, California, USA
It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Let's bring Merlot back!
Inky in color with a wide reddish rim.
Fruity nose of fresh cherries, plums, currants, light cedar, earth, herbs, chocolates and black pepper.
Full-bodied with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry on the palate with black currants, black plums, cooked cherries, cedar, spices, toast, licorice, chocolates, tobacco herbs, earth and light vinaigrette.
Tangy finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.
This is a very tasty Merlot from Napa Valley. Rich and fruit forward. Elegant and very complex.
Good right out of the bottle, and better after an hour of airtime.
This 12 year old Single Vineyard Merlot is nicely balanced and still drinking at its peak.
Good by itself or with food.
A blend of 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc.
14.6% alcohol by volume.
91 points.
$150.
It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Let's bring Merlot back!
Inky in color with a wide reddish rim.
Fruity nose of fresh cherries, plums, currants, light cedar, earth, herbs, chocolates and black pepper.
Full-bodied with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry on the palate with black currants, black plums, cooked cherries, cedar, spices, toast, licorice, chocolates, tobacco herbs, earth and light vinaigrette.
Tangy finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.
This is a very tasty Merlot from Napa Valley. Rich and fruit forward. Elegant and very complex.
Good right out of the bottle, and better after an hour of airtime.
This 12 year old Single Vineyard Merlot is nicely balanced and still drinking at its peak.
Good by itself or with food.
A blend of 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc.
14.6% alcohol by volume.
91 points.
$150.
Pretty wine. And quite impressive for the 2011 vintage. Elegant and holding.
Pretty wine. And quite impressive for the 2011 vintage. Elegant and holding.
Nov 16th, 2025Beautiful wine. 45 days maceration and still a medium bodied wine of precision and bright red fruit. Red plum, cranberry and roasted cherries. Roses. Elegant.
Beautiful wine. 45 days maceration and still a medium bodied wine of precision and bright red fruit. Red plum, cranberry and roasted cherries. Roses. Elegant.
Jul 28th, 2023Mostly Merlot more classic style compared to other Napa wines .
Mostly Merlot more classic style compared to other Napa wines .
Jan 22nd, 2023
Could go many more years, of course. But why wait
Could go many more years, of course. But why wait
Oct 22nd, 2020
Who said that 2011 is a poor vintage?
Who said that 2011 is a poor vintage?
Dec 15th, 2019
While certainly a very good wine I’m not anywhere close to the (initial) 99pts bestowed by one famous critic.
Two years ago I gave this 94pts.
Today it’s a 93 as the baby fat has diminished and is starting to reveal a finish more built on wood tannins (from expensive French barrels) than the seductive fruitiness that I associate with Merlot.
While certainly a very good wine I’m not anywhere close to the (initial) 99pts bestowed by one famous critic.
Two years ago I gave this 94pts.
Today it’s a 93 as the baby fat has diminished and is starting to reveal a finish more built on wood tannins (from expensive French barrels) than the seductive fruitiness that I associate with Merlot.
Love the cab franc in this. Great blend of franc and merlot. Very smooth. Not much of a tannic bite. Purple in the glass with black fruits. Blackberries are very faint...little bit of soy sauce.
Love the cab franc in this. Great blend of franc and merlot. Very smooth. Not much of a tannic bite. Purple in the glass with black fruits. Blackberries are very faint...little bit of soy sauce.
Dec 23rd, 2017
Out of magnum. On the nose, creamy red cassis (cherries), blackberries, hues of blue fruit, bright red florals, soft volcanic minerals, & cherry cola. The palate is is ruby, creamy and ripe; cherries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and strawberries. Volcanic minerals, soft spice, used leather, rich dark soils, raspberries/cola, licorice, fresh red florals, round, beautiful acidity and a long, polished, well balanced finish. Photos of their Italian villa, entry signage, tasting room and vineyard as viewed from the front of the Estate.
Out of magnum. On the nose, creamy red cassis (cherries), blackberries, hues of blue fruit, bright red florals, soft volcanic minerals, & cherry cola. The palate is is ruby, creamy and ripe; cherries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and strawberries. Volcanic minerals, soft spice, used leather, rich dark soils, raspberries/cola, licorice, fresh red florals, round, beautiful acidity and a long, polished, well balanced finish. Photos of their Italian villa, entry signage, tasting room and vineyard as viewed from the front of the Estate.
Dec 3rd, 2017