Only 7,383 cases were made of this blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot and Petit Verdot. The wine has an inky purple color, a big, sweet kiss of pen ink, graphite, cedar wood, licorice, blackberries and blackcurrants with some background oak, but it’s dominated by the fruit extract and the full-bodied richness and glycerin this wine possesses. RP
Breathtaking. Exceptional integration of super ripe blackberries and the very finest oak. The tannins build up beautifully, forming wave upon wave as the wine flows across the palate. Then the wave breaks on your palate and shoots way out at the finish, so that you wonder where it will end and normal life begin again. JS
Complex aromas of dried currant, anise, herb and tar are rich and elegant on the palate, with the tannins softening. Has excellent structure. The best of two bottles.--1996 California Cabernet retrospective. WS
$1750
Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
RP
96
Revealing the great blending skills of Beringer’s winemaking team, the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve is a winner. Having purchased Private Reserves for many years, I can attest that they age incredibly well. The 1991, one of the great successes of that vintage, is still aging beautifully at nearly 25 years of age. The sensational 2012 (10,000 cases) boasts an opaque purple color along with abundant aromas of charcoal, burning embers, crme de cassis, chocolate, blackberries and licorice. The long, complex, compelling, full-bodied texture along with terrific purity and a savory, rich mouthfeel result in a classic, quintessential Napa Cabernet Sauvignon to drink now and over the next 20-25 years. RP