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Our Wines
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2007 Cabernet Franc Rosé
The 2007 Rosé is made from 100% Cabernet Franc, the traditional grape of Rosés in France’s Loire Valley. It is a seigneur (or “bleeding” of juice) from grapes that went into our Napa Valley Merlot and our Bourriquot blend. Fermented cool in stainless steel and bottled in February, its brightness (no oak presence), freshness (natural acidity left in the wine by blocking malo-lactic fermentation), and length are Michael Havens’ personal statement on Rosé: Keep it lively.
| Info & Tasting Notes: | 2007 | | Purchase: | 2007 |
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2007 Albariño
This year’s Albariño recalls its predecessors: floral scents of citrus blossom, early pear, and lychee fruit jump from the glass. High natural acidity accentuates the intense, lively mineral quality that is its hallmark. Chefs often notice that this minerality makes it among the very best wines to pair with food (seafood, yes, but also anything rich or spicy, foie gras to jambalaya). And while it opens with an elegant, even austere profile, its focused and persistent back-palate fruit lingers hauntingly. At only 12.5% alcohol, this wine stays refreshing, allowing you to continue enjoying it through the bottle.
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2004 Black & Blue
In 2004, after a lovely, moderate summer with very little fog but no real hot spells, the last week of August turned hot and dry, with offshore conditions prevailing for almost ten straight days. Persisting into the second week of September, it brought the Syrah to ripeness (25.0% sugar) with unusually good acid balance. The heat seemed to push the Cabernet almost to full ripeness, but we wanted to wait for completely mature phenolic elements. So, two weeks after the Syrah, we finally picked our Cabernet, with very full flavors and mature tannins. This extra "hang time" gave us a richness that we intended to balance the Syrah’s spiciness. When we decided to make the "Black & Blue ten-years-later" blend, we found these two wines a perfect complement: the Cabernet’s richness and soft tannins were complemented by the spicy, exotic notes of the Syrah.
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2003 Bourriquot
In 1992, we introduced Bourriquot, moved by the memory of great wines we love from the Bordeaux Right Bank featuring blends of Cabernet Franc and Merlot. “Bourriquot” (Boo-ree-ko) is a slang word for a horse with its own mind, one that is not easily controlled. Or a person of the same type (like certain hard-headed winemaking sorts.) You might say this critter leads the way in our whole stable: wines a bit outré for our little valley, pulling in a dissident direction, yet traditional for its constituent grapes.
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2003 Merlot, Napa Valley
Our 2003 Napa Valley Merlot is now fruity and luscious, in a sense the most classic style for Napa Valley. This wine is destined to be a crowd-pleaser, especially if that crowd is enjoying good food. It offers very full body and varietally true red fruits, yet the tannins are round and mouthfilling, so the resulting wine on the palate is still balanced. It answers affirmatively that a rich wine can be complex, nuanced, and elegant.
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2003 Merlot Reserve (Carneros)
The 2003 Merlot Reserve (Carneros) has already developed into a distinctive wine: black fruits, hints of allspice, mace and anise and a broad-but-firm backbone. This wine shows off 2003’s best character, the firm structure of late-harvested Carneros fruit, and the complexity that comes from Merlot planted in a superior site. It should age well for another five to eight years from release, not simply surviving, but developing more intricate texture and exotic aroma.
| Info & Tasting Notes: | 2003 | | Purchase: | 2003 |
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2003 Syrah, Napa Valley
The relative warmth of 2003 is evident in this Syrah’s rich, meaty character. But its cooler terroir shows in the mocha-coffee hints and the bright, peppery spring to its finish on the palate (not unlike the 2002). What you also will taste here is a wine that is balanced between its fleshy elements (round fruit, creaminess) and its structure (tannins and acids). You will think “Rhone Syrah” (if you know it), and you will not think “oak,” because that element is fully integrated into the wine. And if you are enjoying it, appropriately enough, with a meal, you will notice how the wine keeps calling you back to refresh your palate for the next bite.
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2003 Syrah Hudson Vineyard
The very best Syrah starts out life in cellar very fat, full, and somewhat awkward. But unlike the Bordeaux varieties, it then refines itself while in barrel, becoming more elegant, balanced, and floral. The exotic high tones of lavender and orchid, the white pepper spice, and the long finish develop from what began as an ungainly child. Our 2003 Hudson TiTi has followed that program, and now offers power in elegant form, real Syrah from Carneros terroir.
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