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2019 Blackbird Vineyards Contrarian Napa Valley 6pk 6x750ml

Cabernet Sauvignon-led Napa red from a Merlot house, aged 21 months in French oak by Aaron Pott. 96 Wine Advocate, 96 Suckling, and the most powerful wine in Blackbird's lineup — built for structure, priced like we bought it direct.

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2019 Blackbird Vineyards Contrarian Napa Valley 6pk 6x750ml

Cabernet Sauvignon-led Napa red from a Merlot house, aged 21 months in French oak by Aaron Pott. 96 Wine Advocate, 96 Suckling, and the most powerful wine in Blackbird's lineup — built for structure, priced like we bought it direct.

Retail $1,170
$599.94
/ pack
You save $570.06
  • "Pops Out of the Glass! Wonderful Vivacity" ~96JS
  • Epic 97 Point Vintage ~Wine Spectator
  • Former Troplong-Mondot & Quintessa's Winemaker
  • Free Shipping on 12 or More Bottles
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Image of 2019 Blackbird Vineyards Contrarian Napa Valley 6pk 6x750ml 2019 Blackbird Vineyards Contrarian Napa Valley 6pk 6x750ml
$1,170
$599.94
/ pack
You save $570.06

About The Wine

Blackbird Vineyards started with a love letter to Pomerol — estate Merlot from vines originally planted by Trefethen. Contrarian flips the script. Named for its defiance of the house style, it leads with Cabernet Sauvignon instead: 70% Cab, 29% Cabernet Franc, 1% Merlot, aged 21 months in French oak. The most powerful wine in the Blackbird lineup, built for structure and depth where the flagship chases elegance.

Aaron Pott and Kyle Mizuno shaped the 2019 vintage into something restrained and serious — Napa Cabernet with the aromatic complexity of the Right Bank. Savory notes run through the core: tobacco, cedar, black truffle, coffee. The fruit is there — black cherry, plum, black currant — but it's framed by those darker, more interesting layers. The tannins are plush but firm enough to carry this wine into the 2030s.

Two 96-point scores — Wine Advocate and James Suckling both — land on a wine with 1,100 cases made and a price that undercuts what comparable Napa Cab commands at retail. This is the bottle for the table where someone asks what you're drinking and you get to explain why Cabernet Sauvignon from a Merlot house hits different.

Pull the cork now if you want the fruit and the structure in conversation. Cellar it a decade if you want to see what happens when the savory notes take over completely. Either way, it's already proving why Pott's name on the label matters.

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At A Glance

Varietal:
Cabernet Sauvignon
Region:
Napa Valley
Sub-Appellation:
Napa Valley
Alcohol:
14.1%
Size:
750ml

TASTING NOTES

What's in the Glass

PAIRS WITH
Beef · Lamb · Ribeye · Ribs · Cheese

Mouthfeel & Acidity

Light Body Full Body
 
 
 
 
 
Low Acidity High Acidity
 
 
 
 
 
Soft Tannins Firm Tannins
Dry Sweet

Tobacco, cedar, black truffle, and coffee frame the core. Black cherry, plum, and black currant provide the fruit, but the savory notes dominate. Rich mid-palate texture, plush tannins on the finish, with more truffle and espresso lingering after the glass is empty. 14.1% alcohol, 21 months in 75% new French oak.

CRITIC REVIEWS

What the Critics Said

A blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Cabernet Franc and 13% Merlot, the 2019 Contrarian Proprietary Red is cedary but ripe, filled with black cherries and cassis, with just a hint of licorice. It's full-bodied and rich without being heavy, ending with notes of dark chocolate and loam on the long, velvety finish. Nearly approachable already, it should drink well for close to two decades. ~96 Wine Advocate

Blackcurrant, black licorice and blueberry. Very pure cabernet sauvignon aromas. Mushroom and forest floor, too. Pops out of the glass! Full-bodied with chewy, polished tannins that show wonderful vivacity. Energetic and fresh at the end. Needs a few years to come together. Drink after 2026. ~96 James Suckling

THE PRODUCER

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