Product Overview
Winrey's Notes:
"Claude and Katherine Blankiet searched many years for a tract of land on the western foothills of the Mayacamas Mountains in the Napa Valley with the single vision of producing world class wines. In January of 1996 they had the chance to view an undeveloped hillside above the Napanook vineyard in Yountville that their agent had secured a hold for one day. Without any hesitation, the Blankiets bought the land on the spot and named it Paradise Hills.
Paradise Hills Vineyard is located on three volcanic knolls separated by alluvial swells deposited by the creeks draining the mountain range. Soil profiles vary from deeply fractured rocks and volcanic ash to thick clay deposits. Viticulturist David Abreu and winemaker Helen Turley were brought in to develop Paradise Hills Vineyard into four distinct sections. Each sub-section is distinguished by unique subsoil and microclimate. Moreover, meticulously selected root stocks were grafted with clonal varieties of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot procured from first growth Bordeaux estates."
Varietal Composition: 100% Merlot
Appellation: Napa Valley AVA
Aging: 18-19 months in French oak, 100% new
Winemaker: Helen Turley
94 Points - Wine Advocate
"The deep, rich 2002 Merlot is not up to the level of the 2003, although it does possess fabulously complex notes of scorched earth, chocolate, espresso roast, and meaty black cherries, currants, and plums. A broodingly backward, concentrated, full-bodied, dense, and super-rich Merlot, it should drink well for 15 or more years.
As I have written before, the only way readers are going to get any of this wine is to be on the mailing list or check out one of the few restaurants that receives an allocation.
This is an amazing operation on the hillsides overlooking the huge Dominus/Napanook estate. A complex set of caves and a remarkable, nearly surreal chateau grace the property. Winemaker Helen Turley, working with her viticulturalist husband, John Wetlaufer, is fashioning some spectacular wines from these hillsides of volcanic ash and basalt. These are big, structured, potentially long-lived wines that will need some cellar time for those lucky enough to latch onto a few bottles. Everything to date has been aged in 100% new Taransaud barrels for 18-19 months and then bottled unfiltered." -RP, 12/25/2005
