Going back to the beginning when the merlot grape was named.  In the Pomerol area of France where the merlot grape was first ever mentioned in document the word merle meant young black bird.  The naming of the grape came either because of the grape’s beautiful dark-blue color like the birds, or due to blackbirds’ fondness for grapes.

So we have Blackbird wines.  They wanted to create a winery that focused on producing wines from Merlot grapes.  They call their wines “California Bordeaux”

Bordeaux wines are red wine blends almost always consisting of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. 

The most famous Blackbird song I know is from the Beatles.  And the name and label pay tribute to that song. 

“Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise”

Arise, features blackbirds sitting on a telephone wire in the same layout as the starting notes in the Beatles’ song “Blackbird”.

Blackbird Winery was founded in 2003, right before the movie Sideways was released that bashed merlot wine.  The movie actually caused a decrease in Merlot consumption in the US. Founder, Michael Polenske was undeterred and chose not to change the course of the winery’s production and even infused a bit of humor into the situation, obtaining a license plate emblazoned with “f’ing merlot”.  

While arguable the more popular crown preference is for Left Bank Bordeaux Blends which feature Cabernet Sauvignon as the “star” varietal, Michael had always preferred the Merlot-based Pomerol blends.

Plum, cherry, pomegranate, tobacco, forest floor, nutmeg, black pepper, blood orange zest in a very integrated yet complex nose. Good mid palate richness with blackberry jam, plum and cherry, tobacco and earthy notes, tannins are plush and rich. The wine ends with good length, finishing with crushed strawberries, plum jam and milk chocolate.