2019 Cervantes Blacktail Red Wine Napa Valley

Our beloved vineyard sits in the far southeast reaches of Pope Valley, which itself is in the far east of Napa Valley, in one of the most dramatic, untouched corners of this special part of the world. Each year, we treat the grape growing and winemaking as an adventure, carefully tending individual plots of half a dozen grape varieties. Our diverse plantings are part of our quest to find the most exciting expression of our unique terroir. The result of this quest each vintage, is "Blacktail," a blend of only those plots that fit together to tell the story of our vineyard, and of the vintage in a way that only we can tell it.

In the lead-up to the 2019 growing season, we were blessed with winter and spring rains that helped the vines gain strength from the very start. A generous-but very well-managed crop, and nearly ideal conditions throughout the summer, delivered fruit to the winery that was a winemaker's dream. Each harvest lot became a delicious blending component that knitted together into a complex tapestry. After months in the barrel, the character of the vintage began to show itself. The common thread is high energy. The bottled wines have captured this energy, and we feel that it will be present in the wines throughout their lives. 

The 2019 Blacktail is a blend of 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Caber­net Franc, 17% Malbec, 22% Petite Sirah, and 11 % Petit Verdot. The complexity of the wine is as exciting as the blend appears. Notes of licorice, baking spices, sandalwood, and gravel are wound up in rich fruit flavors of black cherry, cassis, and baked blueberries. The wine is at once structured and accessible, with a juicy core, but enough tannins to help it age in the bottle for decades. We hope you enjoy it with family and friends at the table!

ANDY ERICKSON | WINEMAKER

2019

Vintage notes

The 2019 growing season was a very quiet one, unfolding discreetly and with moderation. The absence of any "main events" helped the fruit hang longer and reach perfect ripeness. The resulting wine from this beautiful fruit evolved in the cellar, taking on an intense, balanced, highly charged character.

Late winter and spring rainfall was key for the success of this vintage. Early season soil moisture allowed the vines to grow beautifully throughout the season. No frost or hail, no heat spikes, and healthy vines led to nice bud break, even flowering, and strong canopies. Our viticulture team worked diligently to produce the highest quality fruit possible. This hard work, and the blessings provided by Mother Nature, led to a classic Napa Valley vintage.

Great care was taken in the cellar with the 2019 vintage in order to steward the evolution of the red wines from the barrel to the glass, giving us well balanced, round and polished wines. The Cabernet Sauvignon is clean, well structured and elegant, with a deep dark color and a beautiful nose. On the palate, the wine is fresh but expressive, with incredible palate weight that will last for decades. Our Blacktail continues to evolve and surprise us. This year again the same five varietals make for a magical blend that really is a wonderful expression of our land. We can't wait for you to taste it, as we make it to share, we make it for you.
We are growing with our wines and continuing to learn about our land and nature. We are committed to conservation and have made water a priority with our winegrowing. We like to share images of this beautiful element as well as our withstand. For the Cabernet Sauvignon "Standing Battlements" and in our Proprietary Red Blend "Water Bliss", for your enjoyment.

We are thrilled and prou d to present to you this vintage. It has been five years since our first vintage and it is an amazing and beautiful experience. Every year has been unique and special. We are sure this vintage will be one of the highlights of the decade and hope you love it as well.

Safe journeys,
XAVIER CERVANTES | PROPRIETOR

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Blacktail Proprietary Red Wine

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