"We don't have anything in mind about what the final blend will be each year," winemaker Andy Erickson said about this Blacktail blend. "We want to create something that is unique to the place this year." The 2019 Blacktail Proprietary Red Blend MMXIX is produced from 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, 17% Malbec, 22% Petite Sirah and 11% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it sings of exotic spices-fenugreek, cloves, star anise, and cinnamon stick-over a core of plum preserves, warm cassis and incense, plus a touch of forest forest floor. The medium to full-bodied palate is packed full of bright, juicy fruit, supported by taut, grainy tannins, finishing very long and layered.

The 2019 Blacktail is every bit as impressive from bottle as it was from barrel. The blend driven by Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petite Sirah works so well here. Swaths of tannin wrap around a core of inky dark fruit, leather and spice. This opulent, full-throttle wine is loaded with personality. I loved it.

The 2019 Proprietary Blend Blacktail is 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Petite Sirah, 17% Malbec, 11% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc. This kitchen sink-like blend has tons of character and is medium to full-bodied, with ripe yet firmer tannins, lots of red and blue fruits, and complex, expressive notes of spicy oak, graphite, and scorched earth. Give it a year or three and enjoy over the following decade.