2008 Blackbird Paramour

A blend of equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the dense purple-colored 2008 Paramour possesses a big, sweet bouquet of roasted espresso beans, cocoa, white chocolate, black currants, black raspberries and a hint of graphite. The wine is impressively rich and sexy, and almost as impressive as the 2007. Generously endowed with good purity, texture and length, this lovely 2008 should drink well for 10-15 years. This is a project of up-and-coming wine consultants, Aaron Pott and Sara Gott. The goal is to produce Right Bank Bordeaux-styled wines from various blends. As I wrote last year in issue #186, I thought the 2006s and 2007s were strong offerings, and the four outstanding efforts in 2008 are better than the 2006s, but not quite as good as the 2007s because they are less opulent and exuberant. Nevertheless, they are rich, expressive wines made from fruit grown in the Oak Knoll region of the southern Napa Valley. Tel. (707) 252-4444; Fax (707) 252-9999