Beautiful nose of menthol, cranberry, graphite and blackberry liqueur. Still quite tart and acid filled on the attack with loads of minerality. Even though cab franc is only 30% of the blend, it is very prominent in the experience of this wine. I think some more bottle time will do this good, especially given Michael Havens track record with the predecessor to this wine, Bourriquot.
I just drank one of these and liked it quite a bit though my bottle was a bit too warm and I’d prefer to open it right from the cellar next time. It’s a bigger wine than Bourriquot, at least the mid-1990’s bottlings that I’m familiar with.
Craig - drank mine at cellar temp and agree that is best. It is bigger than the old wines and still a little primary, but I think it will pick up more elegance and secondary characteristics with age.
I just opened a 1995 Bourriquot. It is indeed less powerful but has good ripeness to stand up to the woodsy Cab Franc character. There’s a good streak of grippy tannin left too. This is a bottle that came from Winebid last year and it’s in excellent shape. I have a bottle or two left from release as well.