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San Francisco Chronicle – Michael Polenske’s Blackbird winery takes flight
January, 2010
“After making his fortune teaching others how to build theirs, Michael Polenske quit the world of financial planning to pursue his dream of becoming a Napa Valley vintner. Making Merlot, no less, a wine whose sales were eviscerated by the 2004 movie "Sideways," in which the fictional wine snob Miles delivers a now-famous (and profane) rant against the varietal…”
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Chicago Tribune – “Seasonal wine splurges”
December 22, 2009
“Whether the bottle is meant for Christmas present or Christmas future, these Napa Valley wines combine a fruit-forward friendliness with the tannic structure needed for aging.
2007 Blackbird Vineyards Contrarian: A big hit with the tasting panel, this is a blend of 46 percent cabernet franc, 34 percent merlot and 20 percent cabernet sauvignon…”
 $90
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Playboy - "THE IMBIBER: GRAPE EXPECTATIONS”
October, 27 2009
“Napa is an international standard bearer for cabernet sauvignon, but Blackbird is hell-bent on putting NoCal merlot on the map. If the just-released 2007 vintages I tried—Arise ($50) and Illustration ($90)—are any indication, consider its rep redeemed. Both are extremely approachable and well put-together…”
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Robb Report - "100 Perfect Pours"- 2006 Contrarian Proprietary Red Wine
October 2009
“Renowned for its miraculously complex Merlot-based wine, Blackbird Vineyards has historically flouted Napa Valley tradition by emphasizing red Bordeaux varietals…”
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Luxury Las Vegas - "Bottled Poetry"
May 2009
"Blackbird debuted its first vintage in 2003. Its name derived from the French patois for Merlot, 'Little Blackbird'. Appropriately, their vineyard in the Oak Knoll District is planted to Merlot, and their wine style reflects Pomerol wines..."
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Cooking Light - "Top 10 gift wines"
December 2008
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Town & Country - "Blackbird Vineyards helps an oenophile craft a personal blend of its Illustration Napa Valley Proprietary Red Wine..."
December 2008
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Men's Journal - "2008 Best List" - Best Red under $100-Blackbird 2006 Illustration Proprietary Red Wine
December 2008
"It's the first American merlot with the flavor and complexity of the great French Bordeaux. And it's still a bargain relative to other luxury wines..."
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Robb Report - "101 Fabulous Fermentations"
November 2008
"These brilliant bottles are guaranteed to please the crankiest connoisseur and supply some welcome liquid cheer to beleaguered hosts..."
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Men's Journal - "Merlot is Back"
November 2008
"For years, overdone merlot has been too embarrassing to order. But now vineyards are turning out great-value bottles you just can't miss..."
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Sommelier Journal - Winery Spotlight - Blackbird Vineyards - Oak Knoll District, California.
August 2008
"A three-word, hand-scrawled change in an employment contract bought Michael Polenske his dream vineyard in Napa Valley... with Merlot overdue for a return to prominence, it looks like it's time for this little Blackbird to fly..."
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Travel + Leisure GOLF
August 2008
"Every few years a flock of new, would-be cult wines appears in Napa Valley. Most of them are turkeys; a few soar like eagles. One of the more impressive newcomers has been a merlot-dominated blend from Blackbird Vineyards..."
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Robb Report - "Best of the Best"
June 2008
"While some critics have argues that Merlot is too fleshy, too fruity, and lacks structure and complexity necessary for extended aging in the cellars, other have (rightly) notes that several of the most coveted and long-lived wines of Bordeaux—Chateau Petrus and Chateau Le Pin, for instance—are Merlot-based. Michael Polenske, entrepreneur and proprietor of Blackbird Vineyards, is among these Merlot admirers, and his releases stand among Napa's most beautifully articulated boutique wines..."
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Vanity Fair
February 2008
Blackbird Vineyards released its acclaimed 2005 Napa Valley Proprietary Red at a V.I.P. dinner, hosted by Chanel, honoring the Host Committee of the charity P.S. Arts. The gala event was held at Cut, Wolfgang Puck's ultra-chic Beverly Hills steak house, and the exclusive wine poured was the Proprietary Red.
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Town & Country
December 2007
The 2005 Blackbird Vineyards "Paramour" Napa Valley Proprietary Red Wine is endorsed by Town & Country as their "Perfect Gift for the Home."
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Robb Report
October 2007
"Winemaker Sarah Gott has shown once again she is a virtuoso in handling this (Merlot) grape...The 2004 tempers powerful fruit with earth elements of roasted coffee, cocoa, and ginger, all of which are wrapped up in a texture like royal red velvet."
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Stratos
September 2007
Merlot has fallen out of favor with some, but enophiles know it is the grape that powers Chateau Petrus, among the most sought after wines in the world.
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Food and Wine
April 2007
Ask Michael Polenske, 45, why he decided to give up an extraordinarily successful career in finance to start Blackbird Vineyards, his Napa Valley winery, and he'll say wryly, "Why take a vow of poverty, you mean?"
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In Style Magazine
December 2006
The Perfect Gift...For The Proud Homeowner
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C Magazine
by Alison Clare Steingold, December 2006
Gourmet Gifts
"Never mind those cruel jokes in Sideways. Merlot can be marvelous, and the limited-production release of winemaker Sarah Gott's Blackbird Vineyards 2004 Merlot ($80; six bottle allocation) shows the subtle finesse of Napa's other red wine."
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Distinctive Living
by Jenny Peters, July/August 2006
Sing a Song of Blackbird, Antiques, and Find Food
Michael Polenske and His "Business of Leisure"
"Funnily enough, it all started at Chico State, the place investment advisor and entrepreneur Michael Polenske calls "the very prestigious university in Northern California that was rated the Number One party school in 'Playboy' magazine two out of the three years that I was there." He must have learned something in those formative years, however, for Polenske has certainly figured out how to both make money and keep that party spirit alive in the process."
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San Francisco Bay Club
by Christine Blake, July/August 2006
Michael Polenske
Enjoying the Business of Leisure
"Bay Club member Michael Polenske does more than just enjoy the good life-he creates it. This full-time investment advisor and part-time entrepreneur has fashioned a collection of lifestyle-based ventures that reflect his passion for great food and wine, and the little things that make life sweeter.
For more than 20 years, Michael has found much success by helping his clients find investments that reflect their personal interests. He tells us, 'By choosing investments that have some special significance, my clients ground altogether. And by offering its gourmet ingredients for the home cook, Boulettes has made slow food a little more accessible to those just outside "the know".'"
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7x7
by Jordan Mackay, May 2006
Cult Leader
Introducing the latest must-have Merlot. Believe (or don't believe) the hype.
"You've heard it before: Wealthy guy buys expensive vineyard in Napa Valley, produces small amount of expensive wine. It's the tale of Michael Polenske, the owner of Blackbird Vineyards, who was finally able to make his vinous dreams come true in 2003, after years of long hours in a lucrative financial business.
"Not to say that Polenske's Merlot isn't good. In fact, if you can get hold of it, you're likely to find it delicious. But what makes a wine go from being another costly, elusive bottle to becoming a cult sensation? Blackbird is just one of a handful of wines vying for this position, but unlike, say, Hourglass and Amuse Bouche, it's a relative newcomer, which can help. If a wine has been around for a few years and hasn't made it, chances are it never will."
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