2008 Blackbird Contrarian Auction Napa Valley Cuvée
Estimated value
Buying options
Tasting notes
(14.5% alcohol): Full medium ruby. Very dark aromas of blackberry, cassis and violet complemented by hints of menthol, espresso, tobacco and bitter chocolate. Suave on entry, then fine-grained and penetrating in the middle, offering an attractive balance of sweetness and acidity. Not a thick wine but intensely flavored and nicely delineated, showing good inner-mouth lift; flavors of darkest berries and violet dominate, but there's also a faint herbal element here that contributes to the wine's light touch. This elegantly styled wine finishes with a fine dusting of firm-edged, building tannins and good rising length.
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2008 Contrarian is a blend of equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. It reveals a dark purple color as well as notes of roasted herbs, earth and new saddle leather. The tannins kick in in an austere manner and the wine seems to clamp down on the palate. The leanest, most angular wine of this quartet, it will benefit from 2-3 years of cellaring and should keep for 12-15 years. This is a project of up-and-coming wine consultants, Aaron Pott and Sara Gott. The goal is to produce Right Bank Bordeaux-styled wines from various blends. As I wrote last year in issue #186, I thought the 2006s and 2007s were strong offerings, and the four outstanding efforts in 2008 are better than the 2006s, but not quite as good as the 2007s because they are less opulent and exuberant. Nevertheless, they are rich, expressive wines made from fruit grown in the Oak Knoll region of the southern Napa Valley. Tel. (707) 252-4444; Fax (707) 252-9999