By Blackbird Vineyards
2014 Arise Napa Valley Proprietary Red Wine

The Team
Winemaker: Aaron Pott
President: Paul Leary
Founder: Michael Polenske

Wine Description
Harvested, vinified, and aged with an identical commitment to quality as our principal wines, this classic Napa blend comprised of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon expresses luscious flavors that can only come from exceptional fruit.

Tasting Notes
The 2014 Arise entices with aromas of black currant, freshly-picked summer blackberries, cedar sticks, and roasted cloves. With flavors of licorice, pipe tobacco, Bing cherry, and nutty fig, this wine has a richly layered mid-palate complemented by soft texture, good density, and a long, lingering finish.

Production Notes
Blend: 38% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc
Harvest: Fall 2014
Release: Fall 2016
Barrel Regime: 21 months in French oak barrels - 50% new, 50% seasoned
Alcohol: 14.50%

Vineyards
Winemakers Comments: Each wine in the portfolio is a true example of Blackbird's ongoing commitment to quality by partnering with a selection of Napa Valley's most prestigious vineyards.
Blackbird Vineyard: Located in the Oak Knoll District, Blackbird's estate vineyard, with clay soils underlaid by gravel, is an ideal site for Merlot. The region's cool nights preserve acidity in the fruit, providing a natural balance.
Hudson Vineyard: Perched on a rolling hillside in the cool climate of Carneros, the Hudson Vineyard is a high-quality fruit source for Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Stagecoach Vineyard: Atop the Vaca Mountains, south of Pritchard Hill, the rocky, volcanic terroir of the Stagecoach Vineyard produces intense Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
Crocker and Starr Vineyard: The Crocker and Starr Vineyard's deep pocket of well-drained gravel creates aromatic Cabernet Franc with impressive structure and finesse.
[Information provided by Matador Vino]

93 BLACKBIRD Arise Napa Valley 2014
Merlot makes its mark clearly here as the wine keys on emphatic, fairly succulent black cherry fruit, but its Cabernet components provide structural solidity and extend its reach with complexing touches of cassis and sweet, loamy soil while a nicely fit dollop of creamy oak adds yet another layer of interest. Fairly obvious tannins warn off early drinking, but this impressively filled wine is exceptionally well-balanced and already shows a nascent sense of polish that is hard to miss, and it has the makings of a most memorable match for red meats running from a medium-rare rack of lamb to a juicy, standing rib roast once another three to five years have passed. Reviewed: November 2016

Blackbird Vineyards 2014 Arise Proprietary Red (Napa Valley)
Points: 92
Designation: Arise Proprietary
Variety: Red Blend
Appellation: Napa Valley, Napa, California, US
Winery: Blackbird Vineyards
Alcohol: 14.50%
Category: Red
Date Published: 3/1/2017
This blends 38% Merlot with 32% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Cabernet Franc. Together these find a healthy companionship of wood, cedar, currant and dried herb, allowing the two Cabernets to speak loudest. Lightly spicy nutmeg and clove linger around well-defined layers of cherry and vanilla.

BLACKBIRD VINEYARDS NAPA VALLEY ARISE 2014
Thursday, January 26, 2017
Country: United States
Region: California - Napa Valley
Vintage: 2014
Score: 91
Aromas of plums, earth and spices follow through to a full body and tight and firm tannins. Structured and powerful. Needs a few year to soften. Better in 2020.

BLACKBIRD Arise Napa Valley 2014
Score: 89
Country: California
Region: Napa
Issue: Mar 31, 2017
Precise and well-framed, with currant and crushed stone aromas and layered, fairly dense flavors of dried cherry, tomato leaf and cedar. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best after 2017. -TF

Blackbird Vineyards 2014 Arise
Points: 89
Napa Valley, Napa Valley
Red wine from United States
The 2014 Arise, Blackbird's entry-level wine, is bright and focused, with good purity in its red stone fruit, tobacco and spice notes. Antonio Galloni. Tasting date: October 2016

2014 Blackbird Vineyards Arise Proprietary Red
USA, California, North Coast, Napa Valley
Rating: 88
Color: Red
Maturity: Early
Type: Table
Sweetness: Dry
Variety: Proprietary Blend
Drink Date: 2016 - 2031
Reviewed by Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Issue Date: 28th Oct 2016
Source: 227, The Wine Advocate
The four proprietary reds are all various blends of Bordeaux varieties. The 2014 Proprietary Red Arise is a blend of 38% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Cabernet Franc. It shows notes of white chocolate, blackcurrants, black cherry, licorice and roasted herbs with a hint of mocha, a dark ruby/plum color and a medium to full body with a slight herbal edge. The wine is chewy, round, juicy and best drunk over the next 10-15 years.