On a recent tasting trip to Napa Valley California, amid wild-fire evacuations and Covid 19 restrictions, Beverly Hills Wine Club Executive Director Jason Pate explored some of Napa’s cult favorite winemakers and wineries including Blankiet Estate in Yountville.

In early 2019 I visited with our friends at Beverly Hills Wine Merchant @winemerchantbh and was given a recommendation to try the 2014 Prince of Hearts from Blankiet Estate of Napa. At the time I hadn’t heard of @blankietestate and I put the bottle in the cellar until later that year. After finally tasting the red blend wine I instantly became a fan and placed the winery on my list of cellar-worthy must haves.

Flash forward to a pandemic outdoor tasting this September 2020, complete with a wild-fire smoke layered sky above us, I sat and tasted thru the current offering of estate wines and wow how gorgeous these wines were to taste! For an hour of time I forgot about Covid. I forgot about the smoky sky above. From there I was treated to a detailed tour of the winery and exclusive peek of the new Blankiet Port being hand-detailed for packaging. The inaugural release is limited to 500 wooden boxes each containing one 500ml bottle of each Port. Yes, two Port styles!

As the Blankiet member page describes, “The first one, named Prince of Hearts number 5, is our California expression of the fruitiness and complexity of a great vintage of Dow. It exhibits blueberries, blackberries, dark cherries, and oriental spices. The second blend, named Prince of Hearts number 7, is an homage to the Quinta Do Noval National, exhibiting uncanny caramelized notes of pineapple flambé, fig jam and hoisin sauce.”

If you’re a Port lover like me I highly suggest calling the winery direct for availability.