Havens Black and Blue 2005

The 2005 Black & Blue is a wine of huge character, offering a load of sweet fruit and balancing spice. We have no doubt it will age for many years into a wine as evocative and engaging as its predecessors. It's a variation on a theme most wine lovers have heard, the Napa Valley Cabernet theme, but it's played a little differently in our opinion. - a little more haunting and certainly a little more wild.

"Slightly better than the 2004, the 2005 retains the same style, but possesses better acidity, a deeper color, and a fleshier, richer mouthfeel. Havens co-ferments the Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon (which can't be easy) for the Black and Blue Proprietary Red Wine, and in 2005, the result is a seamless, full-bodied, opulent, dense ruby/purple-hued wine with a sweet nose of camphor, acacia flowers, blackberries, pepper, and a hint of roasted meats. This is a ripe, refreshing effort because of the good acidity this vintage provided. It should drink well for a decade or more." 93 Points,
Wine Advocate
December 2007

"Ruby-red. Reduced, rather stunted nose. Then lush and sweet in the mouth, distinctly thicker and fuller than the two syrah bottlings but with sound acidity to frame the blackberry, licorice and leather flavors. Finishes with substantial tongue-dusting tannins. Havens describes the cabernet from his vineyard around the winery in Yountville as foursquare and earthy." 90-93
International Wine Cellar
May/June 2007