The 2008s ratchet up things. Composed of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2008 Illustration reveals sweeter fruit, more opulence and flamboyance, and plenty of spice, wood smoke, black currant, plum, and licorice notes. Already drinking beautifully, this complex 2008 should continue to evolve and provide gracious, satisfying drinking for at least 12-15 years.

This impressive portfolio was assembled by winemaker Aaron Pott and consulting winemaker Sarah Gott (her husband owns the incredibly successful fast-food chain of Taylor’s Refresher in San Francisco, Napa, and St. Helena – which makes the best cheeseburger and Ahi burger in the land). All of these offerings reveal beautiful balance, suppleness, and intensity. Production runs between 200-300 cases for most of the cuvees, with the Illustration maxing out at 1,200 cases. Blackbird’s mission statement is to make artisanal, Pomerol-inspired wines from Napa Valley, and they appear to be succeeding. The estate vineyard is in the Oak Knoll district, which is well-known for deep, loamy, gravelly soils