Blackbird, Arise, Oak Knoll District

Drink by, schmink by. Still tasty.

2006 vintage

Elegant fruit and still nice structure. Softness from the merlot and structure from the cab franc. Really pleasantly surprised by how this has aged.

2008 vintage

Jammy red berries, luscious fruit. Hint of rosemary and menthol on the nose with a very subtle espresso note. Not a ton of structure left but showing very nicely right now. This may be the peak as the fruit will likely start to fade soon given the lack of backbone.

2008 vintage

Still lots of fruit though subdued. Hint of chalk and licorice. Good, but more subtle. Reminded me of a syrah in its taste and feel in the mouth.

2008 vintage

See previous notes. Another excellent bottle from a 375ml which sadly was my last bottle. Highly recommended.

2008 vintage

Incredibly deep purple/light black in color. Popped and poured through Vinturi into decanter. Really developing well and sadly my last bottles from a small stash of 375ml. I love those bottles because you can drink just enough and finish a bottle easily. Anyway, rich aromas of black fruit and smoke as a previous poster commented and it quickly evolved in the decanter and glass. On the palate, load of black currant and cassis, blackberry/blueberry flavor characteristics along with forest floor, …

2008 vintage

Deep ruby color, fruit still integrating with the tannins. Decanting is not a necessity but Jo harm if you choose to do so.

2008 vintage

(from a .375) Wine has a bit of color loss already, bricky around the edges. Nose of super ripe fruit, roasted hazelnuts, blackberry liqueur and vanilla, maybe road tar. Sticks to your tongue (in a good way). I wish I could afford Aaron Pott's (winemaker) namesake wines (Pott Wine). If you have some cash, check them out. I'm guessing they are of the same ilk but perhaps more impressive. But this is tasty!

2008 vintage

Intense fruit. Needs another 18-24 months of bottle aging.

2008 vintage

Excellent. A bit woodsy when initially pured, then quickly opened, balanced, and sung like a bird. Love this wine.

2006 vintage

from 375. decanted ~1hr. similar to previous notes. nice fruit, rich and full. however, a little hot and just doesn't have the depth or complexity i'd hope. the CS character seems to be a little more prominent right now.

2008 vintage

Consistently delicious. Hint of smoke, blackberries, smooth, light finish. Drinking very well now.

2006 vintage

Pop and poured from a 375ml. Still youthful and opened up beautifully over an hour. If you have it in your cellar, I think this has a good 4-5 years of life left so don't be in a rush to drink it. The wine would show perfectly with an hour in a decanter.

2008 vintage

Really developing well. Purple-black in glass, rich aromas of smoke and black fruit. Rich mouthfeel opens with blackberry compote and cassis, evolves in palate with layers of milk chocolate, touches of cedar and leather. Great balance and long, rich finish. Terrific.

2008 vintage

Was deep into an awful lot of bottles by this point, and was initially relatively impressed. Unfortunately, it was subsequently embarrassed by a $12 right bank bottle from 2005, which seemed to hit all the same notes but do so just a little bit better. Not a bad effort, but Blackbird's better showings are far more interesting -- this is pretty ho-hum.

2008 vintage

Nice wine to have with a large steak because it was food friendly. Nice aromatics, easy approach, medium to complex taste with rather short finish.

2008 vintage

Tasted as part of a "Flock Box" tasting over about two hours. Black cherry and black raspberry on the nose with some maple and cocoa. Fairly intense on the palate initially with black fruits, dates. Somewhat (too) grainy on the finish. After about 90 minutes this seemed to turn less bold and more red berry in character. I'd drink this short to medium term. 90+

2008 vintage

no notes, but notice it's on sale for $30.99 as a tasting special which is well below community pricing average.

2006 vintage

similar to last bottle. wish it had a bit more acidity to bring it into better balance, though.

2008 vintage

Not as good as the illustration but at half the price, that is to be expected. I guess I was somewhat let down after reading some other comments around how this closely mirrored its big brother. It fell a bit short in my mind. but not bad.

2008 vintage

Ex-Quintessa wine-maker rocks it out. Black fruit, low nose in terms of aromatics, smells like good Merlot. Definately has that liquid minerality that Merlot can get. Then some Franc on the back end lifting it up? Darn good at $50.

2008 vintage

Love this for a everyday drinker. Nice balance blend of Berry, Dried fruit, Spice and Oak, Just a very balanced wine all around

2008 vintage

rich nose of caramelized brown sugar, plums, berry, and chocolate with a savory base note. the palate showed lush expressions of the nose. very expressive and forward.

2008 vintage

Good, not great. Nose was rather muted, but nice fleshy dark fruit on the palate. Alcohol was noticeable and, at times, abrasive to me.

2008 vintage

Rather simple nose - grape jelly and a little oak. Big concentration - huge ripe fruit. Quintessential "fruit bomb" Alcohol very present - decanting recommended. The flavor improved with some air time but still remained overpriced.

2008 vintage

APPEARANCE: Dark red with long legs AROMA: Black cherry with a hint of oak TASTE: Bold, silky and very smooth. Blueberry jam with great tannin structure.

2008 vintage

This would taste awesome with figs.

2008 vintage

Great nose of cherry and bacon. Falls short on taste

2008 vintage

really enjoyed this bottle - popped and poured but it got better in the glass. mellow chocolate and cassis tastes with a very long finish.

2008 vintage

Coming into its own, but still too early ... try 2012. But with lots of air, this wine is very nicely balanced. Also a good compromise between new world and old world style and just up my alley.

2006 vintage

Corked!

2006 vintage

Still too early ... wait until 2012. But it's coming along nicely. We opened it, decanted for a few hours and then just corked it up, put it back in the cellar and tried over the next two days ... it mellowed out and was enjoyable. This will be a very nice wine starting in 3-5 years.

2006 vintage

Cherry, cedar on the nose with a long finish, very, very good.

2006 vintage

Not sure I found the cola mentioned on WS (although it is an intriguing aroma for a red wine) but the cherry and cassis are definitely there, with a nice complex nose that I could spend a lot more time exploring. For the taste, I found the plum and raspberries, but it also had a strong strain of overripe fruit - more like a very dark and ripe cherry, than a bing cherry - and some huckleberry. The finish is …

2006 vintage

black cherry, cola, pomegranate - intense, lovely wine, perfect touch of oak, perfect finish.

2006 vintage

Taste Napa Valley [Vancouver, Canada] (Fairmont Hotel, Waterfront) : Pretty Nose, Soft Good Tannins, Approachable Soft Fruit.

2006 vintage

The alchohol was a bit high, but otherwise this was extremely good. Medium + purple, nose with blueberry, red fruits and spice. Nice medium + body, smooth tannins, straightforward merlot flavors, an aray of black and red fruit, chocolate, and sweet spices. It really benefited from a long decant to let some of the alch. blow off.

2006 vintage

Amazing spicyness! Great blackberry fruit, with tasty earthiness, and incredible pepper spice, brought out nicely by the pepperjack cheese we enjoyed.

2006 vintage

Borderline Infanticide!! Nice merlot, but does not, in my opinion, warrant the price tag. Good fruit, lots of cherry, plums -- what a Merlot should be like. Medium finish with a bit of heat. Good structure/acidity and an overall well made wine. This wine will definitely do well with another 5+ years of bottle aging. I'll wait 3-5 years before opening another bottle.

2006 vintage

Nice young vine merlot with plenty of fruit and flavor, but also just a bit of heat for me.

2006 vintage

Wow -- what a mouthful of flavor and texture! Decanted for about 40 minutes. Dark red/violet color with a full body; unmistakeable Tootsie-Roll and dark cherry on the nose (very powerful aromas); rich, full, but silky mouthfeel and powerful plum, dark chocolate, dark cherry flavors all well-balanced. This reshaped my perception of Merlot. Open this now and get even more excited about the potential of their more ageworthy blends. Bravo!

2006 vintage

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Blackbird, Arise, Oak Knoll District

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