I always loved Michael Haven’s version of this wine, this is a worthy successor. Popped and poured at cellar temp, although this wine in retrospect could have benefitted from a quick decant. Cocoa powder, graphite and black raspberry on the nose. Interesting mix of black raspberry fruit, graphite laden minerality and still prominent tannins on the back end. Very nice and I think this will pick up some more interest as it ages and has many good years ahead of it.
I’m a fan of the 1990’s Bourriquots but I had no idea this existed. What’s it’s history?
And now he is making similar wines under the Cave Dog label…was a participant in BD12.
Emily can weigh in, but I think she took over some of the grape contracts Michael used to source for his Bourriquot? To be clear, this is a different take on a cab franc/merlot blend than the old bourriquots, a bit more polished, but a very enjoyable wine. I would guess aged 15-20 would be a sweet spot for this particular vintage.
Hi Jud - didn’t we swap for some old Bourriquot vintages in your collection? I love your description of the Virage Bourriquot 2012. I didn’t build it to age, but I agree it’s starting to show it WILL go the distance. There were serious tannins in the CabFranc component, very rustic brambly early on. The brambly/wild fruit dark mineral/cocoa remains but the rough edges are rounding, yay.
I was a big fan of the Havens 2001 and 2004, particularly. Used to love cracking those. Still had a case or so that burned in the fire–drink your wines people, you never know what’s comin’… 
As to history, indeed I took over some grape sources that previously served Havens Reserve Merlot and Bourriquot. Added some Hyde Vineyards fruit (nearby) and a block of Cab Franc up on Atlas Peak in gorgeous red Aiken soil that dominates this 2012 Virage Bourriquot. In contrast with Virage, where I follow the Quintessa model (mums the word on varietal blend), I publish the blend on the back of the Bourriquot bottle. But remember, Bordeaux varietals were not built to bottle alone. You pay us winemakers to blend for balance and it’s plum silly, if you ask me, to choose one blend or vintage over another based on its component% by varietal. Blending is my second favorite part of winemaking (working the vineyard being the first); the right blend is magical, like art its inexplicable but you know when you nail it, its way more than the sum of its parts.
Digressing further, I once cooked (helped cook, back when I was in culinary school) a dinner for the Havens growers; what a great time and memory of tasting through so many wines from the bottles opened that day. I wanted to name a new brand after that inspirational wine blend that sadly ended up on the financial chopping block. We trademarked the name to start a brand around the vision, but marketing people convinced my partners to keep our brand name to two syllables (easy to say, easy to spell they said), so I racked my brains for nearly three years before I came up with Virage, the bend in the road… When the opportunity arose with the 2008 vintage to do a 2nd Label voila, did we ever have fun with that label design. Credit to Joe Herdell. I said Gimme burro-y grey, warm, and letters in pewter, like vintage harness material. Love what he did. The price is so good on these Bourriquots because I don’t invest marketing$$ in it, but that 2012 darn I should have sent samples for scores because it’s just delish. And I bottled a lot of it (300cs?) Gonna be offered this BD13 in 6paks…
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