2002 vintage. Decanted with just a little sed. Tasted immediately and after 2 hours. Medium-heavy body. Some pencil shavings and fudgesicle in the nose. Chocolate-covered raisin and dark-skinned ripe plum in the flavors. Initially, still pretty rich and "fat." Thinned out somewhat at the 2 hour mark whilst acquiring a pittance of tannins for a bit more balance. Still, waves of persistence and follow-through. Have tasted a few Napa merlots over the years since the 1985 vintage. This may be the best of them all. Still has at least 8-10 years of quality drinking ahead. This is solidly "in the zone." 11.21.23.
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Out of magnum, similar notes as previous tastings in 2012 through 2019 and still going strong. Black cherries, currants, licorice, leather, and espresso in the nose. Black cherries, plums, chocolate, and a hint of minerals in the flavor. A rich wine with nice complexity, well balanced, full bodied and a long finish.
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Deep purple with lots of flavor of black, very ripe plums. Still drinking well, but is certainly time to drink up. While enjoyable tonight, it will not be to everyone's taste.
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Deep red color. Aromas of red fruits, dark chocolate and fruit chutney. Ripe and nicely extracted but rather unpleasant fruit in the mouth. The 20 years of bottle age has morphed this wine into an odd concoction of strange fruit flavors. Very disappointing.
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Round and plummy on the palate, with good fruit reflected in the generous bouquet, and extending into a lingering finish that gives hints of the terroir. Still youthful, with 10-15 years ahead of it.
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Similar notes to 2017 tasting. Deep rich fruit in the nose and flavor. Black cherries, currants, licorice, leather, and coffee in the nose. Black cherries, plums, and chocolate in the flavor. Full bodied, well balanced, nice complexity, and a long finish. We were in the 93/94 range.
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Very similar notes to last tasting in 2012. Deep rich fruit in the nose and flavor. Black cherries, currants, licorice, leather, and coffee in the nose. Black cherries, plums, and chocolate in the flavor. Full bodied, well balanced, nice complexity, and a long finish. We were in the 94/95 range.
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Simply needed a very long time to open up. But was luscious and deep. Supertight upon opening, and was worried it might be a little green still. But extra breathing put me at ease. Still time on this one.
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Opulent, rich, textured, smokey even. A truly wonderful wine with soften tannins, at its apogee. A big wine. Strong flavors. Drunk from a magnum after keeping it 12 years in my wine fridge. Cork in perfect condition. Some sediment but light.
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Spectacular wine! Rich forward nose with blackberry and other earthy fruit, and exotic notes and tremendous perfume. Almost sweet in the mouth feel, yet dry. Tannins have softened.
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This was a spectacularly voluptuous and energetic wine given its 13 years of age. A very feminine nose, like that of a young Bordeaux (like a young Pauillac to be more specific, though this is a Merlot!) followed by a very intense wine that got drier and drier with time and the finish became longer and the wine got younger...Super drinking now and for a while yet. This was a perfectly cellared bottle with perfect fill and cork. Awesome experience.
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Mostly drinking 2002s tonight in honor of my son's birth year. This one was opened late in the evening. I tasted again today. Fabulous nose of red fruit and coffee. Mouth-coating and satisfying mix of same profile with soft tannins and a hint of sweetness. Lingering finish. This has lots of life left in it.
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earth and cherry on the nose ... fruit forward on the palate ... fantastic body and complexity ... dark berries, plums and coffee ... very good to excellent California Merlot
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Decanted for 2 hours and paired with grilled burgers. Controversial wine but I'm a fan. Wouldn't peg this for a warm weather Napa red if tasted blind. Ample blackcurrant and cherry fruit, but quite dry and rustic. Fans out to smoked meat, earthiness, and roasted coffee.
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Dark lush ripe aromas of sweet black berries, black, black cherries, & toast. Quite impressive. Dark bitter chocolate flavors initially, but big ripe dark middle fruits quickly takes over. A showy wine dominated by black cherries, tar, and wet earth. A large scale wine that is very well balanced and still quite young as fruits dominate all.
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My first Blankiet, and I (and everyone else in the group) was impressed. Served it at our second-in-a-row 95-point or higher red wine group dinner, this one at Le Provencal in Coral Gables.
No one figured this was 100% merlot (double blind format). This wine had structure, long finish, balance, power, very drinkable now (I decanted about 3 hours before our dinner). This is pricey wine for sure, but i felt that it was money well spent. Bravo to owner Claude Blankiet and winemaker Helen Turley. Looking forward to trying the Paradise Hills cabs one day
Wow. I read the mixed reviews and felt it was biased. Upon opening I was really astounded. Not a pleasant taste. Let it sit and open. That did not help. This was not corked, it was just not pleasant. Finally gave up. I decided to go with other aged wines to make life better. opened the 2000 Jones Family Cab and that was still quite tasty.
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1 hour decant. Not sure what was wrong with this bottle, but it almost seemed to have a touch of Brett. I did not find it enjoyable at all. I hope to search out another bottle of this or the cab and give it another try.
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Lovely wine. Fruit was pronounced and bright, well balanced with hints of cedar and a bit of smoke on nose. Tannins added solid structure without being too pronounced. Old world in style. Drink over next several years.
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BLACK CHERRIES, CURRANTS, PLUMS, AND A TOUCH OF COFFEE IN THE NOSE WITH BLACK CHERRIES, BLACKBERRIES AND CHOCOLATE IN THE FLAVOR. NICE COMPLEXITY AND A LONG FINISH.
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Wow, I sure hope these are just in a really bad place right now (with that place not being "in my cellar") While I didnt give this a chance to truly open up and hoping a decant and good "breathing" helps this wine, it was simply not enjoyable. Hot and generally unpleasant I will hold what I have and pray that in a few years these turn into something...........ugh!
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Would have guessed Bordeaux over California, as others have noted; earthy nose that wasn't all that pleasant. Core of black fruits was nice and had good tannins on the finish that were muted somewhat by slight herbal overtones (?).
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1 Hr Decant. Decent nose. Very smooth with no distinguishing characteristics. Some modest fruit, very soft tannins. but nothing on the finish to remember either. Not worth the $.
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Unpleasant. I thought it was a bad bottle but the other two people at the table said no, it was a fine bottle just unpleasant. It was hollow, charmless, vegetal, and hot. FTR it has been stored several years in perfect conditions. We opened the 2001 also. It was even worse. I don't think I'll be buying any more Blankiet.
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Soft and round tannens with an almost floarl overtone. It reminded me (almost) of the vigonier blended into a cote-rote. Good transition and finish. This wine does a *lot* of things very well. But there was also a green-stem flavor that carried some bitter overtones that detracted from it. In sum, an enormously polished and appealing wine with very good features and at least one noticable problem.
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Rich and smooth and quite tasty, but not as aromatic or complex as I anticpated. To be fair, we only had time to pop and pour, and our stemware was industrial.
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(92;81) My favorite and the best Blankiet Merlot I’ve had. Dark, soft, maybe with a touch of alcohol but great aromatics and still fresh. Huge, heady and expansive aftertaste.
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Very inconsistent experiences continue. Decanted 4 hours based on previous bottles. Great full nose. Excellent initial and mid-palate of black fruit, soft velvet, full bodied. Finish however was dominated by lead and some plastic? The tail killed the wine.
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dinner at gulfstream. closed at first with earthy, leather nose. Opened up near end of dinner with lots of soft fruit. Some tannins. More Bordeaux like than cali.
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From Magnum. Seemed like a right bank bordeaux more than a Cali merlot. A wonderful wine, offering dark fruits with a excellent balance and long finish. Some tannins still, makes this wine great with food. I thought it was in a great place now - as did all others with me at dinner.
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Old Cabs at Zoe (Zoe's): Completely out of place, this came across as a bit disjointed next to the mature wines at the table. I found it someone flat and reedy on the nose and had a hard time picking up the fruit profile. It was extremely tannic in the mouth and was pretty much close for business. That said, since it was only showing structure, let me say that those elements were well constructed. I'm not sure that I'd give up on this wine, but I would leave it alone for a good long time.
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Did not know what to expect, as Pahlmeyer and Pride are my two favotite benchmark merlots. This was very nice and had a very rich midplate and a lingering finish. Although not memorable and not exactly a QPR wine, it was very enjoyable, which is all that one can ask for in a bottle of wine.
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This wine has improved considerably. Very complex flavors of licorice, graphite and earth notes complementing the dark plum fruit. Gorgeuos nose and long finish. I decanted for 2 hours, but the wine tasted even better on Day 2, with a better midpalate. While the tannins aren't too prominent, I would hold if you only have a couple.
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This wine seems to be quite controversial on the mark Squires discussion board and so decided to see what the fuss is all about. Opened one hour before dinner and no decant. Dinner was barbecued porterhouse steak. This wine at first was a little reticent with dark purple color. The aroma was very pleasant with hints of licorice and plum. It is amazingly light on its feet and the purity of fruit is excellent. One hour later at dinner time the nose really came out nicely. The taste was pure licorise, plum, well-integrated wood and a hint of chocolate - not over-powering or "sickeningly sweet". The finish was long (about 40 sec). In short this is a great bottle of wine. One can of course argue whether this is worth the price, but that's a futile argument as diferent strokes for different folks.
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Tasted with a friend. Not sure about this one right now. Maybe the wine is in a bad phase? Tannic, but flat and fairly neutral, minerally with very little fruit. Some pepper and spice late. Hopefully this will get better with another year or two in the cellar for those who have some tucked away.
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Chicago Wine Geeks taste Merlot (Chicago, IL): Inky purple in color. A complex and aromatic nose of currants, tar, smoke, green herbs, anise and cedar. Gorgeous texture on the palate. Concentrated, plush fruits are melded to soft tannins. Seamless and long. A very polished wine. My #3, group's #5.
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Wow the Merlot is impressive. It is much more accesible than the Cab. lovely deep nose of dark fruit jumps from the glass. Great mouthfeel long deep cassis, beef blood, and tar. I would have guessed cab. I like it and will buy. Much less sweet than Paloma/Pride merlot.
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This bottle was the wine worst showing for me over several botttles. I still enjoyed it, but the flavors were not as precise as prior bottles. This strikes me as a wine to drink young.
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Some heat, a little green at points. A wall of wine. If Phil Spector made wine, this would be it. Don't know about this one or this winery. I keep buying because the team is so strong and the site seems solid.
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With curiosity as well as trepidation we cracked one of these tonight. The results were impressive if a bit surprising. Wonderful nose of medium/dark fruit, hot rocks, tar, oak, licorice, smoke, hints of leather, chocolate, shoe polish and herb, a little heat. On the palate, surprisingly (for a Helen Turley wine) bordeaux-like, very structured, restrained, not in any sense a fruit bomb, complex flavors of plum, dark briary fruit, dark chocolate, licorice, black cherry, graphite, lead pencil, hint of coffee grounds and leather, again somewhat herbal (in a good way). Very complex, structured and Bordeaux-like for a California merlot. This needs at least 4-6 years imo to show optimally, but is already in its infancy a singular and impressive domestic merlot. Very well done, a highly satisying experince. I will hold my remaining bottles for a few years before opening another. Highly recommended.
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Decanted for 2 hours and drank over the course of 2 hours with rare bone-in prime rib roast. The wine was super-concentrated, and earthy with a little tightly-wound fruit trying to get out. I saved a little for today and will likely not try another bottle for a year. Liked, but didn't love this wine particularly given the steep price tag.
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Wow! Quite a merlot. Great, viscous mouthfeel, nose of flowers and pencil lead. Long finish. Nice now but will be better later. Reminded me of 96 Pahlmeyer merlot.
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11/21/2023 - scott@asrestaurant.com Likes this wine: 95 Points
2002 vintage. Decanted with just a little sed. Tasted immediately and after 2 hours. Medium-heavy body. Some pencil shavings and fudgesicle in the nose. Chocolate-covered raisin and dark-skinned ripe plum in the flavors. Initially, still pretty rich and "fat." Thinned out somewhat at the 2 hour mark whilst acquiring a pittance of tannins for a bit more balance. Still, waves of persistence and follow-through. Have tasted a few Napa merlots over the years since the 1985 vintage. This may be the best of them all. Still has at least 8-10 years of quality drinking ahead. This is solidly "in the zone." 11.21.23.
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9/10/2023 - marshalc Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lovely but fading
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12/20/2022 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Out of magnum, similar notes as previous tastings in 2012 through 2019 and still going strong. Black cherries, currants, licorice, leather, and espresso in the nose. Black cherries, plums, chocolate, and a hint of minerals in the flavor. A rich wine with nice complexity, well balanced, full bodied and a long finish.
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7/16/2022 - M DU VIN wrote: 92 Points
Deep purple with lots of flavor of black, very ripe plums. Still drinking well, but is certainly time to drink up. While enjoyable tonight, it will not be to everyone's taste.
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2/13/2022 - hsacks Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Deep red color. Aromas of red fruits, dark chocolate and fruit chutney. Ripe and nicely extracted but rather unpleasant fruit in the mouth. The 20 years of bottle age has morphed this wine into an odd concoction of strange fruit flavors. Very disappointing.
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5/17/2021 - ashaley Likes this wine: 92 Points
Round and plummy on the palate, with good fruit reflected in the generous bouquet, and extending into a lingering finish that gives hints of the terroir. Still youthful, with 10-15 years ahead of it.
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6/23/2020 - Hamersly wrote: 92 Points
Still drinking wonderfully. Black cherries and dark chocolate, plenty of structure. Medium-long, firm finish.
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4/27/2020 - phildoet71 wrote:
Delicious, impressed the guests at Xmas dinner
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12/29/2019 - philgo01 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Perfect with grilled Korean bbq beef courses !
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8/31/2019 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Similar notes to 2017 tasting. Deep rich fruit in the nose and flavor. Black cherries, currants, licorice, leather, and coffee in the nose. Black cherries, plums, and chocolate in the flavor. Full bodied, well balanced, nice complexity, and a long finish. We were in the 93/94 range.
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12/31/2018 - rwstorer wrote: 96 Points
Drinking beautifully. A pleasure to drink.
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5/20/2017 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very similar notes to last tasting in 2012. Deep rich fruit in the nose and flavor. Black cherries, currants, licorice, leather, and coffee in the nose. Black cherries, plums, and chocolate in the flavor. Full bodied, well balanced, nice complexity, and a long finish. We were in the 94/95 range.
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12/31/2016 - momundy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Simply needed a very long time to open up. But was luscious and deep. Supertight upon opening, and was worried it might be a little green still. But extra breathing put me at ease. Still time on this one.
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12/17/2016 - chrs wrote: 95 Points
Opulent, rich, textured, smokey even. A truly wonderful wine with soften tannins, at its apogee. A big wine. Strong flavors. Drunk from a magnum after keeping it 12 years in my wine fridge. Cork in perfect condition. Some sediment but light.
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7/27/2016 - rwstorer wrote: 96 Points
A superb wine. Amazing nose of pure red fruits and earth. Wish I had more.
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7/13/2016 - cfulbright Likes this wine: 96 Points
Spectacular wine! Rich forward nose with blackberry and other earthy fruit, and exotic notes and tremendous perfume. Almost sweet in the mouth feel, yet dry. Tannins have softened.
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3/14/2015 - Purple Tooth wrote: 93 Points
This was a spectacularly voluptuous and energetic wine given its 13 years of age. A very feminine nose, like that of a young Bordeaux (like a young Pauillac to be more specific, though this is a Merlot!) followed by a very intense wine that got drier and drier with time and the finish became longer and the wine got younger...Super drinking now and for a while yet. This was a perfectly cellared bottle with perfect fill and cork. Awesome experience.
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2/1/2015 - rdfech01 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Mostly drinking 2002s tonight in honor of my son's birth year. This one was opened late in the evening. I tasted again today. Fabulous nose of red fruit and coffee. Mouth-coating and satisfying mix of same profile with soft tannins and a hint of sweetness. Lingering finish. This has lots of life left in it.
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12/23/2014 - pointrob wrote: 94 Points
best merlot i have tasted outside of France
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11/26/2014 - mthomas01 Likes this wine:
Beautiful
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8/29/2014 - veniceslug1 Does not like this wine:
Metallic. Bad flavor in the mouth. With lots of aeration can get some fruit, but I found undrinkable. Two bottles tasted same note.
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8/5/2014 - fcxj wrote: 92 Points
With Rajiv
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7/28/2014 - Fid wrote: 92 Points
Drank at dinner at Dan Tana's. Preceded the 2004 Pahlmeyer. Full bodied with good amount of fruit. Definitely some earthiness too. Liked it.
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3/9/2014 - cortoncharlie wrote: 75 Points
chinese mou tai mixed with grape juice. just cant get over that heat in the finish that almost burnt my throat. really not my style
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1/7/2014 - ipp Likes this wine: 93 Points
earth and cherry on the nose ... fruit forward on the palate ... fantastic body and complexity ... dark berries, plums and coffee ... very good to excellent California Merlot
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12/28/2013 - Mike V wrote: flawed
Corked
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7/27/2013 - RAD2626 wrote: 87 Points
Drink now. Rust around rim. Slightly metallic tinge.
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4/17/2013 - MJTed Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for 2 hours and paired with grilled burgers. Controversial wine but I'm a fan. Wouldn't peg this for a warm weather Napa red if tasted blind. Ample blackcurrant and cherry fruit, but quite dry and rustic. Fans out to smoked meat, earthiness, and roasted coffee.
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1/8/2013 - KenK wrote: 93 Points
Dark lush ripe aromas of sweet black berries, black, black cherries, & toast. Quite impressive.
Dark bitter chocolate flavors initially, but big ripe dark middle fruits quickly takes over. A showy wine dominated by black cherries, tar, and wet earth. A large scale wine that is very well balanced and still quite young as fruits dominate all.
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12/18/2012 - mouton45 Likes this wine: 93 Points
My first Blankiet, and I (and everyone else in the group) was impressed. Served it at our second-in-a-row 95-point or higher red wine group dinner, this one at Le Provencal in Coral Gables.
No one figured this was 100% merlot (double blind format). This wine had structure, long finish, balance, power, very drinkable now (I decanted about 3 hours before our dinner). This is pricey wine for sure, but i felt that it was money well spent. Bravo to owner Claude Blankiet and winemaker Helen Turley. Looking forward to trying the Paradise Hills cabs one day
Here was the line-up:
Champagne
2008 Schramsberg Vineyards Brut Rosé - Bob' bubbly.
White Wines
2006 Huët Vouvray Demi-Sec Le Mont - Alvaro's white.
2007 Martinelli Chardonnay Martinelli Road - Al's white.
Red Wines
1989 Château Angélus - the group's WOTN! - Jerry's wine.
1998 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único - Luis' wine.
2006 Montepeloso Eneo Toscana IGT - Al's red.
2001 Tardieu-Laurent Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Spéciale - Alvaro's red.
1995 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron - Brian's wine.
2002 Blankiet Estate Merlot Paradise Hills Vineyard - Bob's red.
2007 O'Shaughnessy Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder - Mark's wine.
1999 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Château d'Ampuis - Barry's wine.
1991 Dominus Estate - Pablo's wine.
Dessert Wine
2001 Château de Malle - Al's Sauterne.
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12/18/2012 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 92 Points
95 POINT HOLIDAY DOUBLE BLIND DINNER @ Le Provencal; 12/18/2012-12/19/2012 (Le Provencal, Miracle Mile, Coral Gables,FL): - Violet color with slow forming legs. It's balanced with a medium/full body. Polished texture with a medium finish - Bob's wine.
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12/13/2012 - psusfca wrote: 78 Points
Wow. I read the mixed reviews and felt it was biased. Upon opening I was really astounded. Not a pleasant taste. Let it sit and open. That did not help. This was not corked, it was just not pleasant. Finally gave up. I decided to go with other aged wines to make life better. opened the 2000 Jones Family Cab and that was still quite tasty.
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12/9/2012 - lsnider wrote:
1 hour decant. Not sure what was wrong with this bottle, but it almost seemed to have a touch of Brett. I did not find it enjoyable at all. I hope to search out another bottle of this or the cab and give it another try.
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11/20/2012 - Ajnate wrote:
Lovely wine. Fruit was pronounced and bright, well balanced with hints of cedar and a bit of smoke on nose. Tannins added solid structure without being too pronounced. Old world in style. Drink over next several years.
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11/8/2012 - rdfech01 wrote: 94 Points
Everything was right about this. Red fruit and cedar on the nose. Full flavor with dark cherry, violet and spice. Long finish.
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9/24/2012 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 95 Points
BLACK CHERRIES, CURRANTS, PLUMS, AND A TOUCH OF COFFEE IN THE NOSE WITH BLACK CHERRIES, BLACKBERRIES AND CHOCOLATE IN THE FLAVOR. NICE COMPLEXITY AND A LONG FINISH.
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1/3/2012 - WVWine wrote: 94 Points
Super bottle. Smooth, lots of fruit and spices on the nose.
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12/5/2011 - knlowery wrote: 93 Points
Complex, earthy nose. Forest and cedar; warm, ripe fruit on the palette.
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7/22/2011 - JGarofalo3 wrote: 60 Points
Wow, I sure hope these are just in a really bad place right now (with that place not being "in my cellar") While I didnt give this a chance to truly open up and hoping a decant and good "breathing" helps this wine, it was simply not enjoyable. Hot and generally unpleasant I will hold what I have and pray that in a few years these turn into something...........ugh!
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6/24/2011 - King Cab wrote:
Just a crappy wine. No more. No less.
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2/26/2011 - beezer6 wrote: flawed
Saturday Tasting Group (Knightsbridge Wine Shop (Northbrook, IL)): Super corked - didn't blow off.
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1/29/2011 - patwjr wrote: 93 Points
Popped & poured. Soft & smooth tannins, soft fruit, yet still a dense feeling wine. I think this is a drink now to 5 years at most window.
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11/14/2010 - Jororo wrote: 88 Points
Would have guessed Bordeaux over California, as others have noted; earthy nose that wasn't all that pleasant. Core of black fruits was nice and had good tannins on the finish that were muted somewhat by slight herbal overtones (?).
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7/30/2010 - MJTed wrote: 91 Points
Aging nicely for a Napa Merlot. Still showing solid core of black fruit, and plums. Fine tannic structure, with complex finish of herbs and smokiness.
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4/9/2010 - Dr. Pato wrote: 90 Points
A little funk that wouldn't go away but fruit shines through. Previous bottle was all funk. Brett?
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9/6/2009 - Wayne Richmon wrote: 89 Points
1 Hr Decant. Decent nose. Very smooth with no distinguishing characteristics. Some modest fruit, very soft tannins. but nothing on the finish to remember either. Not worth the $.
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8/23/2009 - lek5513 wrote:
the nose was as though the wine was corked, the taste was.... well ,i poured it down the sink, sad.. i also opened an 02 better but mediocre at best.
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8/14/2009 - nfafoglia wrote: 88 Points
Showing bright fruit up front. Soft tannins with a slight vegetal overtone. Hollow on the mid point, with a moderate-length finnish.
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4/23/2009 - onewineheaven wrote: 75 Points
Unpleasant. I thought it was a bad bottle but the other two people at the table said no, it was a fine bottle just unpleasant. It was hollow, charmless, vegetal, and hot. FTR it has been stored several years in perfect conditions. We opened the 2001 also. It was even worse. I don't think I'll be buying any more Blankiet.
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1/12/2009 - ipp wrote: 93 Points
firm, deep merlot
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1/11/2009 - Clemonster wrote: 92 Points
Soft and round tannens with an almost floarl overtone. It reminded me (almost) of the vigonier blended into a cote-rote. Good transition and finish. This wine does a *lot* of things very well. But there was also a green-stem flavor that carried some bitter overtones that detracted from it. In sum, an enormously polished and appealing wine with very good features and at least one noticable problem.
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10/26/2008 - 2loyal wrote: 92 Points
Rich and smooth and quite tasty, but not as aromatic or complex as I anticpated. To be fair, we only had time to pop and pour, and our stemware was industrial.
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9/20/2008 - phenricsson wrote: 95 Points
(92;81) My favorite and the best Blankiet Merlot I’ve had. Dark, soft, maybe with a touch of alcohol but great aromatics and still fresh. Huge, heady and expansive aftertaste.
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8/2/2008 - Phin wrote: 89 Points
Very inconsistent experiences continue. Decanted 4 hours based on previous bottles. Great full nose. Excellent initial and mid-palate of black fruit, soft velvet, full bodied. Finish however was dominated by lead and some plastic? The tail killed the wine.
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5/23/2008 - desik wrote: 93 Points
dinner at gulfstream. closed at first with earthy, leather nose. Opened up near end of dinner with lots of soft fruit. Some tannins. More Bordeaux like than cali.
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5/3/2008 - glg wrote: 94 Points
From Magnum. Seemed like a right bank bordeaux more than a Cali merlot. A wonderful wine, offering dark fruits with a excellent balance and long finish. Some tannins still, makes this wine great with food. I thought it was in a great place now - as did all others with me at dinner.
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2/26/2008 - bsherwin wrote:
Old Cabs at Zoe (Zoe's): Completely out of place, this came across as a bit disjointed next to the mature wines at the table. I found it someone flat and reedy on the nose and had a hard time picking up the fruit profile. It was extremely tannic in the mouth and was pretty much close for business. That said, since it was only showing structure, let me say that those elements were well constructed. I'm not sure that I'd give up on this wine, but I would leave it alone for a good long time.
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2/22/2008 - Jay A wrote: 93 Points
Enjoyed this very much tonight. As with most Merlots this had good fruit, but it also had some good structure and wasn't flabby or uninteresting.
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2/19/2008 - Dubliner wrote: 92 Points
Well balanced, nice core of sweet fruits. Integrated tannins. Plush and enjoyable.
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1/27/2008 - le cochon francais wrote:
Terrific wine; easily the best merlot that I've had at least in recent memory
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1/5/2008 - Bressler wrote: 86 Points
first sip was great, but quickly turned sour
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12/27/2007 - drinkwinedaily wrote: 92 Points
Did not know what to expect, as Pahlmeyer and Pride are my two favotite benchmark merlots. This was very nice and had a very rich midplate and a lingering finish. Although not memorable and not exactly a QPR wine, it was very enjoyable, which is all that one can ask for in a bottle of wine.
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11/17/2007 - cortoncharlie wrote: 87 Points
A brawny but simple wine. I don't get the hype but maybe its just too young.
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8/12/2007 - mike l. wrote: 90 Points
pomegranate on the nose. lovely but not of the caliber of the other wines or the price.
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7/24/2007 - MJTed wrote: 94 Points
This wine has improved considerably. Very complex flavors of licorice, graphite and earth notes complementing the dark plum fruit. Gorgeuos nose and long finish. I decanted for 2 hours, but the wine tasted even better on Day 2, with a better midpalate. While the tannins aren't too prominent, I would hold if you only have a couple.
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7/18/2007 - conadoc wrote: 98 Points
An outstanding wine. Wonderful fruit nose, tannin well integrated, great fruit with well balanced acidity. Terrific!
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3/25/2007 - Lowine wrote:
This wine seems to be quite controversial on the mark Squires discussion board and so decided to see what the fuss is all about. Opened one hour before dinner and no decant. Dinner was barbecued porterhouse steak. This wine at first was a little reticent with dark purple color. The aroma was very pleasant with hints of licorice and plum. It is amazingly light on its feet and the purity of fruit is excellent. One hour later at dinner time the nose really came out nicely. The taste was pure licorise, plum, well-integrated wood and a hint of chocolate - not over-powering or "sickeningly sweet". The finish was long (about 40 sec). In short this is a great bottle of wine. One can of course argue whether this is worth the price, but that's a futile argument as diferent strokes for different folks.
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1/27/2007 - karpos wrote: 90 Points
Tasted with a friend. Not sure about this one right now. Maybe the wine is in a bad phase? Tannic, but flat and fairly neutral, minerally with very little fruit. Some pepper and spice late. Hopefully this will get better with another year or two in the cellar for those who have some tucked away.
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1/21/2007 - ipp wrote: 93 Points
berry and spice aromas ... Good weight and balanced
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12/28/2006 - Nanda wrote: 93 Points
Chicago Wine Geeks taste Merlot (Chicago, IL): Inky purple in color. A complex and aromatic nose of currants, tar, smoke, green herbs, anise and cedar. Gorgeous texture on the palate. Concentrated, plush fruits are melded to soft tannins. Seamless and long. A very polished wine. My #3, group's #5.
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10/29/2006 - gorm wrote: 92 Points
Nice dark core. Sweet and seducing nose with some smoke. Sweet and delicious with loads of raspberries and a nice structure. Rating: 92+
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10/28/2006 - Mike V wrote: 94 Points
Wow the Merlot is impressive. It is much more accesible than the Cab. lovely deep nose of dark fruit jumps from the glass. Great mouthfeel long deep cassis, beef blood, and tar. I would have guessed cab. I like it and will buy. Much less sweet than Paloma/Pride merlot.
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7/17/2006 - EBoyer wrote: 91 Points
This bottle was the wine worst showing for me over several botttles. I still enjoyed it, but the flavors were not as precise as prior bottles. This strikes me as a wine to drink young.
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3/31/2006 - JScott wrote: 90 Points
Some heat, a little green at points. A wall of wine. If Phil Spector made wine, this would be it. Don't know about this one or this winery. I keep buying because the team is so strong and the site seems solid.
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2/25/2006 - JScott wrote: 92 Points
After reading reviews about this being disjointed, I was surprised by its balance and accessibility. Certainly at the upper end of domestic Merlots.
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12/31/2005 - pizinah wrote: 95 Points
With curiosity as well as trepidation we cracked one of these tonight. The results were impressive if a bit surprising. Wonderful nose of medium/dark fruit, hot rocks, tar, oak, licorice, smoke, hints of leather, chocolate, shoe polish and herb, a little heat. On the palate, surprisingly (for a Helen Turley wine) bordeaux-like, very structured, restrained, not in any sense a fruit bomb, complex flavors of plum, dark briary fruit, dark chocolate, licorice, black cherry, graphite, lead pencil, hint of coffee grounds and leather, again somewhat herbal (in a good way). Very complex, structured and Bordeaux-like for a California merlot. This needs at least 4-6 years imo to show optimally, but is already in its infancy a singular and impressive domestic merlot. Very well done, a highly satisying experince. I will hold my remaining bottles for a few years before opening another. Highly recommended.
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12/30/2005 - MJTed wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 2 hours and drank over the course of 2 hours with rare bone-in prime rib roast. The wine was super-concentrated, and earthy with a little tightly-wound fruit trying to get out. I saved a little for today and will likely not try another bottle for a year. Liked, but didn't love this wine particularly given the steep price tag.
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10/30/2005 - EBoyer wrote: 94 Points
Wow! Quite a merlot. Great, viscous mouthfeel, nose of flowers and pencil lead. Long finish. Nice now but will be better later. Reminded me of 96 Pahlmeyer merlot.
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