2018 Cervantes Blacktail Red Wine Napa Valley

Name: 2018 Cervantes Blacktail Red Wine Napa Valley
Brand: Cervantes Family Vineyards
Availability: InStock

This is only the second vintage of this unique cuvée from our estate vineyard. The concept was years in the making: to find a mix of grape varieties that can capture the spirit and potential of our ranch. This is not a formula, but more of a journey and an exploration. Lucky for us, the vineyard is planted to a long list of compelling cultivars, and we continue to add to this list. Let’s face it, our sprawling ranch on the eastern outreaches of Napa is not like the center of the valley-proper, and this is one of our strengths.

As we continue to farm the land and to learn what it has to offer, our proprietary wine—“Blacktail”—will take us wherever the path leads us. But the aim is that what goes in the bottle is the most singular expression of our land from the vintage. The 2018 is incredibly promising. A blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Petite Sirah, and Petit Verdot, the wine is as complex and alluring as it sounds. Floral notes, herbs and spices, and scents of gravel and earth are seamlessly integrated with dark, ripe fruit aromas and flavors.

Aged for 20 months in barrel, the wine is structured but accessible, and the combination of fruit, tannin, and acid are mouthwatering. The many layers in the glass will draw you in and keep you coming back for more.

ANDY ERICKSON | WINEMAKER

2018

Vintage notes

Everything was late, slow, and lon,g but almost ideal weather for a perfect crop with generous yields and delicious fruit. 2018 was a spectacular growing season from start to finish.

Spring was bright, summer was mild with some heat spikes and fall was long and allowed the fruit to slowly ripen and gain more complexity. A dream year for winemaking and it shows in the glass. The quality of the fruit from the season was phenomenal, from the very first early spring cherries, to peaches, nectarines and veggies from our garden, nearly everything edible was vibrant and flavorful.

The 2018 Vintage is a beautiful one overall, as the wines are round in all the senses—well structured and smooth but with an elegant complexity. The Cabernet Sauvignon has all the attributes for a classic Napa Valley icon. The Blacktail is even better than before, incredible balance in the blend of its four varietals, that is a wonderful taste that lasts on the palate.

We hope you will enjoy the wines even more, now that you have the experience of the last vintages and the opportunity to taste our growth. We are extremely grateful to you as our last vintages have been selling out, and we hope this one will continue to be one of your favorites. We love to share our land with you through our wines and images. This time with selected artistic shots from the ranch. “Cabernet” showing how close the horse and the vineyards are in our lives and “Montagne” for our Proprietary blend, blending our horses with our land... Enjoy!

Safe journeys,
XAVIER CERVANTES | PROPRIETOR

Blacktail Proprietary Red Wine

Library vintages