2003 Blankiet Estate Merlot Paradise Hills Vineyard
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From their beautiful hillside vineyards situated behind the vast estate of Dominus, Blankiet has produced a 2003 Merlot Paradise Hills Estate (14.9% natural alcohol) offering a gorgeously complex bouquet of Chinese black tea, black currants, earth, chocolate and a touch of mocha. Frankly, I’m not sure a Napa Merlot can be any more complex than this. With a deep plum/purple color and round, juicy, full-bodied opulence, this 2003 could easily compete with the greatest Pomerols or St.-Emilions. Made from 100% Merlot, it was aged 18 months in 100% new Taransaud barrels, which provide the chocolaty, espresso notes. This sensational wine is showing even better than I remember. Impressive, rich and long, it is close to full maturity, but should easily last for another decade or more in a cold cellar. Tel. (707) 963-2001
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Saturated ruby-red. Sour cherry, plum, menthol, mocha and smoked meat on the nose. Less fleshy than the young 2004 but still round, large-scaled and mouthfilling, with considerable complexity. Finishes quite long, with substantial dusty tannins and excellent grip.
Ruby-red. Superripe aromas of black- and redcurrant, plum and bitter chocolate, lifted by exotic spices. Dense, lush, chewy and uncompromisingly dry, with flavors of dark berry, plum and chocolate, complicated by smoky oak, maple syrup and strong soil tones. Quite layered for 2003 merlot, especially so given the fact that these vines were planted in 1999 and that 2003 was generally a difficult vintage for merlot in the southern half of Napa Valley Finishes with big but fine tannins.
Saturated ruby. Black fruits and shoe polish on the nose. Lush, sweet and sexy, with dense, deep black fruit and licorice flavors. Almost magically long on the palate for merlot from young vines. The Blankiet merlot is planted on soil with a high clay content; it's also situated low on the hillside, where there's always good air movement. In 2003, this fruit was harvested before a sharp heat spike in mid-September.