Cervantes MMXIX Blacktail Proprietary Red Blend 2019

‘We don’t have anything in mind about what the final blend will be each year,’ winemaker Andy Erickson said about this Blacktail blend. ‘We want to create something that is unique to the place this year.’ The 2019 Blacktail Proprietary Red Blend MMXIX is produced from 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, 17% Malbec, 22% Petite Sirah and 11% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it sings of exotic spices – fenugreek, cloves, star anise, and cinnamon stick – over a core of plum preserves, warm cassis and incense, plus a touch of forest floor. The medium to full-bodied palate is packed full of bright, juicy fruit, supported by taut, grainy tannins, finishing very long and layered. Drink date: 2023-2040. Score – 96+. (Lisa Perrotti-Brown, MW, robertparker.com, Nov. 30, 2021)