By: AJ McClellan
Beringer is one of the oldest remaining wineries in Napa. There is a reason that this wine has been around for so long and that reason is found in the superb quality of their Private Reserve wines. We had the National Sales Manager Beringer in yesterday and he took us through a great vertical lineup of the Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.
1997 Beringer Private Reserve – Great structure with ripe dark fruits, great wood spice, and tobacco on the nose. The wine was very well developed in the glass showing great fruit with a pronounced minerality and soft acidity. The tannins were very smooth helping to make this wine drink like a champ.
2001 Beringer Private Reserve – The 01 had more liquorish on the nose but kept the big tobacco and dark fruits. There was less minerality to the wine but still a nice powerful backing. Very dark on the palate but with smooth tannins and a long finish.
2002 Beringer Private Reserve – Brighter than the last two wines with fig and red cherries instead of the plums and blackberries. There is still an echo of tobacco in the background but much lighter than in the previous vintages. Cherry pie with a rocky minerality on the palate. The tannins were softer making this a more elegant vintage.
2003 Beringer Private Reserve – Sweet fruit with loads of spice, plum, red cherries, and a rocky minerality on the back end. A little hollow on the back end but that will fill up with a few years in bottle I think.
2005 Beringer Private Reserve – Big and bold, this wine needs some time to calm down and get in the rhythm. There is a great potential with tannins that have and edge of silkiness and I think with some age this wine will mellow out a little and get that great supple mouth feel that Beringer is known for. Great structure to the wine, the wine is a little thin in the middle but I think it just needs some bottle time.