Blackbird Vineyards Anticipated Spring Release
March 6, 2012
Spring is just around the corner and the highly anticipated release of Blackbird Vineyards’ Principal Proprietary Red Wines—Illustration, Paramour, and Contrarian, is finally here! The 2009 vintage was a milestone year for Blackbird Vineyards through expanded partnerships with a selection of Napa Valley’s most prestigious vineyards. The Stagecoach Vineyard in the eastern hills of Napa, Hudson Vineyards in Carneros, Crocker & Starr in St. Helena, and the further maturation of the Blackbird estate vineyard in the Oak Knoll District yielded exceptional quality fruit.
View Winemaker Aaron Pott shares some stories on the 2009 growing season atop Pritchard Hill, where Blackbird’s Merlot block is located at Stagecoach Vineyard.
Since 1999, the Blackbird Vineyard (a former a walnut orchard first planted with 5,717 Merlot vines in 1997), quietly provided fruit to many of Napa’s finest winemakers, for whom it yielded astonishing comments from Napa Valley veterans and noteworthy editorialists. Purchased by Michael Polenske in 2003, Blackbird Vineyards is now an ultra-premium label in its own right. Fittingly, the word ‘Merlot’ is French patois for ‘little blackbird.’
“With Blackbird, I’ve found a vineyard that can produce a world-class wine,” comments Polenske, “with a Merlot in the style of the ‘Garagiste’ wines that have grown to prominence in the last 25 years, with a nod to the classics on the right bank.” Polenske vision has proven to be spot-on year after year and now we get to know his thoughts on a few more topics…
Describe Blackbird Vineyards using four words or less…
Heaven on Earth
What is your most marked characteristic?
Insatiable Curiosity
Walking through the vineyard makes you feel…
At peace
What is the one topic you could talk about for days on end?
Creativity
Which living person do you most admire?
I have not yet found a replacement for Steve Jobs
If you only had one last sip of wine, what would you choose?
2003 Blackbird Vineyards- our first vintage
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Still working on that….
What is your most treasured possession?
I value my friendships more than any possession
To acquire Blackbird Vineyards 2009 Principal Proprietary Red Wines, click here. Want to meet Aaron Pott in person? Join Blackbird Vineyards March 24th at Ma(i)sonry Napa Valley for the Artist’s Palette Dinner. Enjoy a gallery reception with sculpture artist Archie Held followed by a three-course dinner hosted by Aaron Pott in the beautiful sculpture gardens at Ma(i)sonry. Click here for more information.
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