Benoni 2005 Reserve Napa Valley July, 2008 433 Buyers 310+ cases in 5 days

Southern Napa Valley Havens Vineyard How We Did It We like to roll the dice from time to time. But, in 2006, at dinner with Michael Havens in Yountville, we felt like we were counting cards. Michael is one of the true visionaries of the Napa Valley, the first winegrower to realize that the southern part of the valley, with its cooling breezes, was remarkably well-suited to growing Bordeaux varieties and Syrah. He had spent a couple of decades not only identifying the best vineyards, but the best parcels within the vineyards. Over dinner, we hatched a plan. What if we were to commit to several hundred cases of a Napa Valley blend -- a wine made from the same vineyard sources that Michael had discovered over the years. "The grapes are expensive," Michael confided, "over $3,000 a ton." Typically, grapes that cost $3,000 per ton go into wines that sell for $35 or more, after the winery, wholesale and retail margins. We had a different idea for the economics behind the sale of this new wine. "What if we figure out how to pay as we play? What if we pay for the grapes when they come in, the bottles, the glass, the corks, everything? We take all the risk out of it for you. We essentially pay you a fee for making the wine? Then we'll sell it all directly on WineAccess." This may sound like a great idea. But, the risk was considerable. What if the vintage was poor? What if we couldn't wait three years -- giving the wine plenty of time to mature in bottle -- to sell the wine? But then we looked across the table, and realized we were talking to Michael Havens. That's when we knew we were counting cards. The 2005 Benoni Napa Valley Reserve, a Bordeaux blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and a splash of Syrah, was sourced from some of Michael's most well-researched vineyard sources, including Beau Terroir, the Havens Vineyard and Chateau Chevre. The tendency is to want to sell these wines too fast, not giving them the time in bottle to shed their baby fat and open up. We waited. At our tasting last week, the wine really sang, with a beautiful, slightly restrained ripe fruit nose, fine red fruit integrity in the mid-palate, and the elegant, ripe tannin finish that has always characterized Michael's wines. But maybe even better than the wine is the price. By taking the 150% winery margin out of the cost we're now able to offer WineAccess customers this delicious Bordeaux blend for almost 1/2 the regular price. $19 for a Napa Valley Bordeaux blend? Chalk this one up to betting on a sure thing. There are 250 cases of the 2005 Benoni Napa Valley Reserve available. Free shipping on 6 bottles or more. Weather permitting, shipping will begin the last week of September 2008. First dibs to best customers. Tasting Notes from the WineAccess Travel Log 2005 Benoni Reserve Napa Valley "Purple color to the edge. Excellent 'Right Bank' nose of cassis and red fruits. Fine red and blue fruit flavors with lots of mineral and underbrush complexity. Very refined tannins. Fine, long finish. Note: We've been tasting this wine for over 9 months and it's just now shedding its baby fat, displaying all of its charm. Drink now-2012."

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