United States · California

Blankiet Estate

Blankiet Estate is a Yountville-based Napa Valley property founded in 1996 by developer Claude Blankiet on the steep volcanic hillside soils of Paradise Hills Vineyard. The estate was developed with the explicit aim of producing a Right Bank-style Bordeaux blend — primarily Merlot and Cabernet Franc — in a Californian context, unusual for Napa where Cabernet Sauvignon dominates. The estate wine averages $382 per bottle across 61 lots and represents the portfolio pinnacle, with the 2006 vintage the most frequently traded. The Mythicus, a Bordeaux-variety blend, averages $208 over 60 lots, while the Paradise Hills Merlot at $92 across 42 lots provides relative accessibility. At $164 average across 319 lots, Blankiet occupies a premium position in the Napa secondary market. The Rive Droite, named for its stylistic aspirations toward Saint-Émilion and Pomerol, rounds out the collection at $129 average. Production is estate-only and small — estimated at 2,000 to 3,000 cases total — from the 12-hectare Paradise Hills site. The volcanic hillside soils differentiate Blankiet sharply from valley-floor Napa, adding a savoury mineral quality that sets the wines apart from broader-shouldered benchland Cabernets.