Havens Black and Blue 2004
-
Parker
Robert
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
91 Points
"A 50/50 blend of cabernet sauvignon and syrah) Good ruby-red color. Black and blue fruit aromas complicated by minerals, licorice and black pepper. Sweet, aromatic and tightly wound, with impressive inner-palate energy for the vintage.
The blackberry and floral flavors are still a bit youthfully tough, and the wine's tight tannins call for patience." Stephen Tanzer's
International Wine Cellar
"A blend of equal parts Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2004 Black and Blue Proprietary Red Wine is a more tightly knit wine meant for longer aging (the Cabernet firms it up as well as giving it more bulk and structure). The overall impression is one of opulent black fruits, spice box, licorice and melted asphalt. Enjoy this ripe, medium-bodied, pure, well-made 2004 over the next 7-8 years." 91 Points,
Wine Advocate
Professional Ratings
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Other Vintages
2005-
Parker
Robert
Havens Wine Cellars is located just south of Yountville and a short quieting drive off Highway 29, Napa Valley’s main winery tour route. The pastoral 10-acre site located on the Mayacamas benchland includes a 7½ acre vineyard of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Syrah grapes lovingly tended.
Our own estate vineyard on Hoffman Lane, planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Syrah, is an interesting variation on the south Napa Valley vineyard characteristics we value so much. First, we are actually in a little warmer spot here than many of our other vineyards because we sit close to the Mayacamas foothills, slightly in their lee from the prevailing south wind. This means that our daily cooling from the marine airflow is a bit delayed, keeping us warmer for an hour or two longer than vineyards even a few miles east. On the other hand, since we sit on the east-facing slope, we don’t get the full heat of the afternoon sun like vineyards just across the Valley, five miles away in the Stags Leap District. All this combines to define what is called the “diurnal range,” or the daily swing of temperature and wind, and we think it is the single most important factor in a vineyard’s terroir. Our soils here on Hoffman Lane are deep, but include a lot of gravel in the clay loam, and thus they can dry out quickly without drip irrigation. We are still learning the subtleties of farming this site, but have found Syrah here especially well-adapted to the place.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.