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The Business of LeisureBlackbird Vineyards and Ma(i)sonry Napa Valley

Blackbird Vineyards is one of the many outstanding vintners participating in the Lexington Cancer Foundation’s 2010 wine auction (Thursday, April 29) at Keeneland. Blackbird Vineyard founder Michael Polenske has been an ardent supporter of the LCF, not only through his participation at the event, but also as a host for related vintner events taking place in Napa Valley.

First planted in 1997 with 5717 vines on the site of a former walnut orchard, the estate vineyard is located in the heart of the Oak Knoll District – a region appreciated for its moderate climate and deep, gravelly clay loam soils. In subsequent years, the vineyard quietly provided its outstanding fruit to many of Napa’s finest winemakers. It was this level of quality that attracted the attention of Polenske, an entrepreneur intently devoted to what he refers to as “the business of leisure.”

WrittenbyBridgetWilliams

PhotographybyRobertBengtson

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Polenske purchased the property in 2003 and established Blackbird Vineyards as an ultra premium producer of Pomerol-inspired wines in its own right (Blackbird continues to provide fruit to such winemakers at Bob Foley and Romel Rivera).

“With Blackbird, I’ve found a vineyard that can produce a world-class wine with a Merlot in the style of the ‘Garagiste’ wines that have grown to prominence in the last 20 years, with a nod to the classics on the right bank,” said Polenske. Fittingly,

“Merlot” is French patois for “Little Blackbird.”Designated Napa’s 14th AVA (American Viticultural Area)

less than five years ago, Oak Knoll District is well poised to bring forth the prominence and elegance of Napa Valley Merlot. Polenske likens the Oak Knoll District in general, and Blackbird Vineyards in particular, to France’s Pomerol region, known for its stellar Merlots. “The terroir of the Oak Knoll appellation is

strikingly similar to the Pomerol,” he said. “The soil and the climates are similar, and like Oak Knoll, it’s more rustic and rural than other regions.”

Displaying proven flair for combining individual talents into a highly effective team, Polenske has assembled a dynamic group to execute his vision for Blackbird to become an ultra premium label producing elegantly styled, appropriately balanced red wines that offer short- and long-term cellaring potential.

Consulting winemaker Sarah Gott possesses extensive experience producing noteworthy wines, including Insignia and Backus for Joseph Phelps, Quintessa, and Joel Gott Wines, which she makes with her husband. “I’d spent a lot of time in the wine country with family and friends when I was growing up,” said Gott. “Food and wine had always been a big part of my life, so becoming a winemaker seemed like a natural progression.”

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Oscar Renteria, a second-generation leader of Renteria Vineyard Management, tends to the vineyard. Renteria believes the infusion of technology is insurance for the future and his company combines practical, generational field knowledge with innovative trials and experimentation to grow the finest grapes possible.

Winemaker Aaron Pott became interested in wine at the age of nine when he ordered a glass of milk in a venerable Parisian Bistro. When the waiter responded that “milk is for babies” and promptly produced a glass of watered down red, Pott realized that wine was a beverage of choice for adults and immersed himself in the world of wine trivia. After completing his education with a master’s degree in Viticulture from the Unversité de Bourgogne in Dijon, France, he worked for nearly six years making wine in France before returning to the United States to take a position with Beringer Wine Estates. Pott’s duties expanded in 2001 as winemaker at St. Clement in St. Helena, and in 2004 he accepted the position as winemaker and general manager at Quintessa. In 2007 he formed Pott Wines and is

dedicated to consulting for a select group of notable producers, as well as making wines of his own.

Rounding out the team is Paul Leary. As president, Paul develops forecasting strategies, establishes sales and distribution channels, develops an infrastructure for direct to consumer sales and oversees the short and long term objectives of the winery.

Blackbird’s inaugural 2003 bottling, culled from a small crush of grapes that were not already claimed by other vintners, resulted in the Merlot’s awarding of a stellar 98 points from Vinfolio, who proclaimed it “the best Merlot nobody had ever heard of.” Since then, word has spread, and at the 29th annual Auction Napa Valley, Blackbird Vineyards collectively raised $47,750 with its exclusive lot offerings, including a 2007 Proprietary Red Wine barrel lot that garnered the eighth highest bid among the 115 barrel lots. At the 13th annual Premiere Napa Valley wine auction, Blackbird Vineyards’ five-case lot garnered an impressive $2,400 per case, which represented a 125 percent increase over its 2006 release price.

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Polenske further expanded on his “business of leisure” with the opening of Ma(i)sonry Napa Valley, a destination where guests can appreciate ar t and furnishings that encompass a variety of works from 16th century European craftsmen to contemporary artists and designers, all while savoring limited production, boutique wines. Located only yards away from The French Laundry, Chef Thomas Keller’s three-star Michelin rated restaurant, Ma(i)sonry inhabits a beautifully restored, 104-year-old private stone residence in Yountville, California, one of only two buildings in Yountville listed on the National Register of Historic Places. “We wanted to create a destination where wine and art came together in

a way that would enhance our guests’ enjoyment of both,” said Polenske. “Ma(i)sonry is in every way a celebration of life’s aesthetics. Every collection on site has been created by the hand of an artist, artisan or designer, and, of course, that includes the wine.”

To taste and acquire Blackbird Vineyards wines while vis i t ing Napa Val ley, vis i t Ma(i)sonry Napa Val ley at 6711 Washington St. in Yountville, CA. For additional information, call 707.944.0889 or visit maisonry.com or blackbirdvineyards.com. For tickets and information related to the Lexington Cancer Foundation’s wine auction on April 29th, visit lexingtonfoundation.org. sl