Havens is turning out fine Syrah from Carneros. The 1993 Syrah offers up a big, smoky, bacon fat, and cassis-scented nose with Hermitage-like aromas and texture. Its sweet, overripe jammy fruit and excellent density and full body must conceal the wine's tannin, although not much is evident when tasting the wine. This will be a forward, flattering, mouthfilling Syrah for drinking during its first 10-12 years of life. Mike Havens, working out of a warehouse in the city of Napa, appears to have settled into an admirable pattern, producing richer and richer Merlots, complemented by a fine Syrah, and a Cheval Blanc-inspired proprietary red wine called Bourriquot. There is also a small quantity of Sauvignon Blanc. Havens supplements his Carneros vineyard with purchased grapes.
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