August 13, 2023 - Tasted/reviewed blind. A big, serious, mature wine. Lovely aromas of rose, tapenade, and smoky BBQ. Pronounced pyrazines (menthol/eucalyptus) greatly narrows what this could be (cabernet family for sure). I think this is Bordeaux. I’m going to guess right bank Bordeaux because the structure is plush and a little flabby, and the pyrazines are cab franc-like. Flabby, I must acknowledge, but this is glorious wine. It tastes about peak, but it should age well for at least 10 years. Rating: 95.
June 17, 2023 - drank 30 minutes after decanting. Lots of wood, plenty of sweet cassis, smoky, cedar. Very fragrant and floral.
May 19, 2023 - Bad cork - even a Durand couldn’t save it, so I had some crumbles to taste through, but the underlying structure was lovely, as was the balanced fruit.
December 19, 2022 - The wine looks crimson. The legs are slow. There is heavy sediment in the bottle. It smells like blackberry, black currant (cassis), plum, mushroom, forest floor, bark, clove and tobacco.
Day 1 - Was the WOTN, drank next to a 70 dollar Syrah, and a 60 dollar Zin Day 2 - served a tad too cold this time around (thermometer had it 52 degrees) - fruit was more hidden as previous Ink, cloves (anise).
Evolved so curiously. Each sip brought new nuance, especially as it warmed. Complex wine, I recommend serving at 60-62 degrees (and not 52 degrees)
June 7, 2022 - Really improved and opened up with time. Perhaps a decant or slower drinking needed. The reason I keep coming back to this producer: depth of flavor, more Bordeaux styled, with Cali/Oakville style. beautiful.
April 4, 2022 - Stupendous stuff. Soft, sweet and sexy in the nose. Structured, sultry and cedary on the palate.
BLack cherries, Creme de Cassis, vanilla-caramel-mocha swirls, topped off by some whiffs of ink, earth and soysauce.
Spectacular.
Dive in now or any time within the next decade.
April 3, 2022 - Decanted for about 2.5 hours and drank over another 2 hours. I thought spectacular, although Liz didn't care for it as much.
February 26, 2022 - 1 hour decant, Spartina
Blackberry, cedar , eucalyptus, herbaceous. There’s good acidity, tannin and structure
Leather and oak on the finish, but neither are predominant.
Overall an elegant aged dinner Cab but not terrific.
June 15, 2021 - Very dark red, decanted 3 hours before dinner, plush nose of dark cherry and plums with a bit of tobacco, on palate fruit was dense and savory, well balanced and has put on weight since our last bottle 21/2 years ago. Continually improved over the next 3 hours. An elegant effort by Blankiet.
February 5, 2021 - decanted an hour before serving. More closed and leaner compared to the merlot. Bigger nose of smoke, and the fruit only came out later. Tannins are still here.