2016 Blackbird Vineyards Merlot Blackmail Napa Valley 750 ml

Blackbird Vineyards makes some of the finest Merlot and Right-Bank-style wines in Napa Valley.

So when a friend of ours took the reins as GM at Blackbird recently and invited us over for a tasting, we didn’t hesitate. As we neared the end, she wanted to show off a little. “This one is just for fun,” she said. “Members only. A special side-project we call Blackmail.”

A few glasses in, we struck a deal. We had to have it for Wine Access.

Between the phenomenal vineyard sources, the pedigree of winemakers Aaron Pott and Kyle Mizuno, the Wine Advocate 98-point-rated vintage of 2016, and the rarity—there were just 100 cases made—this bottling offers true bragging rights for Napa Valley aficionados.

Founder Michael Polenske was so dedicated to Merlot that he named his winery after the grape: “Merlot” is Bordeaux slang for “little blackbird.” In Aaron Pott, he hired an accomplished Merlot winemaker who’s worked at two Saint-Émilion Grands Crus: Château Troplong Mondot and Château La Tour Figeac. 

The keys to the 2016 Blackmail’s quality are the stellar vintage and two premium vineyard sources: Shifflett Ranch, near Yountville, and the legendary Stagecoach Vineyard, in the eastern hills above Oakville. 

Blackbird’s barrel regime is optimized for Merlot, which is why the 50% new oak they use is so perfectly integrated in this wine. They’re first in line for the very best barrels from Jean-Louis Bossuet, and Pott and Mizuno complement these precious vessels with barriques from Taransaud and Pomerol’s own Sylvain.

Supple and complex, with its black fruit accented by notes of gravelly soil, this wine would not be out of place in a lineup of top Pomerols or elite Napa reds.