Community Tasting Notes 14

• MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 92 points

  May 5, 2024 - Opened last night. Noted today, it is everything I had hoped it would be. I used to visit this winery regularly in the 1980s and 1990s, but haven’t had the PR for years now. Happily this bottle and another vintage tasted recently remind me of how much I liked these wines back in the day. Glass-staining deep, dark purple-ruby. Pure ripe Cabernet aroma. Has characteristic California ripeness but enough structure and acid to keep it in check. I have a more European palate these days, but still appreciate a nice change of pace like this once in awhile. 5-12-17-8: 92/100.

  1 person found this helpful Comment

• Captain806 Likes this wine: 92 points

  December 31, 2023 - Very nice after about an hour. An archetypical Napa Cabernet. Big, bold, earthy with some fruit and a lot of grip. Tasty but uncomplicated.

  2 people found this helpful Comment

• Ben Christiansen wrote:

  December 22, 2023 - Its big and oaky. Big and rich and powerful. And really massive and built up. Needs time to open up.

  4 people found this helpful Comment

• AndrewWill Likes this wine: 95 points

  September 22, 2023 - A real crowd pleaser. This is highly polished Howell Mountain. Decanted one hour. Beguiling nose of crème de cassis, dark chocolate, blackberry compote, French vanilla. Palate is understandably young and primary, but shows great promise. Dark fruits abound. Blackberry, blackcurrant, plum, mocha, cacao. Velvet tannins. Would love to try this in another 5 or 10 years, but popped this (my last bottle) on a whim.

  2 people found this helpful Comment

• 3daywinereview.com wrote: 94 points

  September 1, 2023 - Alcohol: 15.5% which explains a lot.
  Day 1: Underwhelming for sure. Blueberries, spice, earth, minerals and menthol. Nothing that should cost more than $45. Hopefully this improves over 3 days. 90 points
  Day 2: Much better! Dark chocolate, blueberries, earth, Bing Cherries, spice, menthol, dust and coffee beans. Medium plus finish and concentrated wine. This is not a wine you can pop and pour and needs at least 5 hour decant but personally I would hold. 92+ points
  Day 3: Not as good and really disappointed with this $100 plus wine. Really done in a riper style which I don't like. Alexander Valley Cyrus is $45 and on retail could get 3 of those for 1 of these. Riper fruits, spice, smoke, dust and damp earth. Medium finish. Some heat on the finish. Easy pass on this one despite the over exuberant scores on Cellar Tracker. 91 points
  Day 3.5: Again, this is a big style Cabernet and not the Beringer Private Reserve's of the 2000s. Just too bold for my tastes.
  Day 4: The best showing by far. Actually Bordeaux like. Tobacco, blueberries, menthol, spice, dried herbs, gravel and bell earth. Medium plus finish. Very impressive and nice rebound. 94 points
  Recommendation: Well at $80 now is a very good value that needs some time in the cellar. Would not open another one of these until 2029ish.

  2 people found this helpful Comment

Pro Reviews 3

Wine Definition

• Vintage 2017
• Type Red
• Producer Beringer Vineyards
• Varietal Cabernet Sauvignon
• Designation Private Reserve
• Vineyard n/a
• Country USA
• Region California
• SubRegion Napa Valley
• Appellation Napa Valley
• UPC Codes 089819012985, 089819274451

Community Holdings

• Pending Delivery 111 (4%)
• In Cellars 2,493 (83%)
• Consumed 412 (14%)

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