Blackbird Vineyards was acquired by John and Julia Henshaw in 2018, with Aaron Pott at the helm of winemaking since 2006. Arise, considered the second wine of Blackbird, was aged for 20 months in 33% new French oak. The wine bursts from the glass with effusive black and red fruit notes layered with graphite, loamy earth, and dark chocolate, all coming together on a medium- to full-bodied palate framed by ultra-fine-grained tannins and a fantastic core of acidity that keeps everything light, bright, crunchy, and incredibly satisfying. This may be one of the most food-friendly Arise wines I have tasted.