Three hour decant. Pretty nose of dark red/blue fruits. Very dusty mouthfeel with spice and fine tannins. Long finish. Seemed to fade a little after about 5 hours. 93+
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Decanted for three hours prior to dinner. Classic Napa cab with dark fruits and excellent balance. Still mostly primary at this point, but no apparent hurry.
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$100+ vs 3.0: See 3Day for treatment, it was his bottle. If you think Beringer only makes crap, try this wine! This is a gorgeous and traditional cabernet that is shining now, but will likely improve with time. Plum, cassis, figs, rich earth, violet, tobacco. 93++.
This was served single blind with a 2015 Davenport Continuity. It was pretty easy for me to pick out this wine. I picked it out just from the nose and confirmed with the palate. No contest in my mind.....and I am usually not good in blind tastings.
This wine is still painfully young and tannic, but shows dark fruit and earthy notes on the nose, with hints of spice. Palate shows dark fruit, semi-grippy tannins, some earthy notes, graphite and some toasty oak. Well structured and could use a couple more years in the cellar. Good, but has much more potential. 93 to 93+ today.
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Liz's Annual $100 Plus Tasting (Minneapolis, MN): Love this wine but more importantly barely edged out the great Davenport Cellars 15 Continuity. As the CEO of the Davenport wines love this. I like this wine and will be buying more. Concentrated with blueberries, spice, earth, dust, mild oak, vanilla and floral notes. Thanks to the tasting tonight to show blind tastings rule.
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My palate can’t tell you what nuances the wine has, but we haven’t had a bad experience with any vintages of the Private Reserve when we waited for at least six years with proper cellaring.
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Good not great, drinkable at PnP but got better over 90 min of drinking. Black cherry, black raspberry, saline, charcoal, hint of eucalyptus, tea leaves, some green bitterness on the finish but not acidic. Hollow mid palate. Nice inky texture.
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Had this over Thanksgiving but still very memorable. Dark and concentrated. Young but in now way harsh and approachable. Loaded with jammy fruits. This reminds me of typical Napa Bordeaux blend. The strength of core fruits covered any complexity and also likely hasn't developed the secondary notes yet. I have full confidence this will improve with age and would hope to have opportunity to have again in 10 years. 95+
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25th Annual Lyon 10 Year Retrospective (Lyon Down Inn): 96+ and my WOTN by a stave over the Darioush. My notes in this tasting are usually very short by now but not for this bottle! An open nose of black plum, creme de cassis, fig jam, black cherry, minerals/iron, and stone are reflected on the palate. You can just hear Chris Berman, "It. Could. Go. All. The. WAY!" 96 on day 2 with the glycerin being a hair more obvious while you wax poetic on the balance.
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It's a big wine with big tannins but some supple, silky characteristics. It's time to start drinking 2013 in 2023.
Black fruit, cassis, pepper, cedar, leather, graphite, tobacco, layers of spice, hints of cocoa, and finishes with some smokey oak. It's still youthful but has an elegance. A+ (97)
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Excellent - decanted for an hour or so and then enjoyed with dinner of NY Strip steak. Loads of blue and black fruit, leather, a touch of mint. Deep and luscious wine that drinks very smoothly with still some gripping tannins. This is still young - easily can go another 6-8 years of bottle age without losing a step.
Excellent wine. Day 1 was very good, but day2, which was 3 days later. Was even better. Really our very first beringer outside the tasting we had at their winery. This drinking great right now. Have one more and will wait 1-3 years.
Medium Acidity Medium Tannin High Alcohol Full Bodied Long Finish
Pronounced - Blackberry, Black Cherry, Black Plum, Cassis, Blueberry, Vanilla, Cinnamon, Liquorice, Caramel, Chocolate, Violet, Rose, Smoke, Tobacco
Intense black fruits, sweet spices, and floral notes. Silky smooth and well integrated tannins, very round mouthfeel. This wine is pure excellence, it's so flavourful and dense, layered and complex, with a very solid structure. Drink or hold
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A still improving Berlinger Private Reserve. Slightly more aromatic than I was expecting. I get blackberry, cassis, some iron and even lead. The finish is viscous lingering fruit amidst a creamy mouthfeel. This is a very well made wine which at its age is only going to get better.
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Dbcanted & enjoyed over 3 hours. Aromas of dark fruit. Full bodied with Dark berries, cassis, spice & dark chocolate flavors. Very solid Napa Cab.Enjoyed with a charcuterie board.
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Last tasted August 2021. This has evolved a bit since then as the wine has integrated more and the tannin has softened with a silky texture. However, I detect a slight bit of heat and alcohol on the finish this time. Maybe more time in the bottle will mellow this out? Not sure. Paired nicely with prime standing rib roast.
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Holding up really well. Still a decent amount of tannin to integrate. With a couple of hours in the decanter, ready to go. Showing both primary and secondary characteristics. Notes of blackberry, boysenberry, cassis, black cherry and some pencil lead on a rich and complex nose. On the palate well structured and dense. This is such a well-built wine. Many years oof life ahead for it, but drinking very well at 9 years old with a couple hours of aeration. Really good win, an amazing qpr.
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Pop and pour. Dense, chewy, earthy, and intense. This required an hour or so to open up and is still quite youthful. It's bold enough to stand up to almost any food and quite delicious.
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Outstanding decanted for an hour. Needed 2 more to develop. Multiple layers of dark blackberry fruit, mint, acid and tannins to develop. Can’t wait to pop the next bottle.
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Decanted this for about an hour, and it definitely could have used a lot more. Still a baby. Cassis and black cherry fruits, tobacco leaf, vanilla and oak. Tannins are still quite primary and chunky. Thought I'd keep half the bottle overnight and see how it developed, and that was a complete disaster (hence the lower score). Day 2 showed stewed fruit, overly sweet and not enjoyable at all. Nothing like dumping a $100+ bottle of wine down the drain. Drink 2023-2043.
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if you want to get the most out of this decant for 2 hours, I PnP and it needed time to open up. This is going to great places with some age on it. Full body cab well made, high structure and intense.
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Decanter 2 hours. Tar, eucalyptus, vanilla, and baking spices on the nose. Cassis, black plumb, cedar, and fine grained tannins on the finish. Really nice expression of Napa Cabernet.
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Black fruits dominate flavor. Some hints of sweet tobacco and cedar. Fruit is still the center here, little to no leather/forest/bdx. Tannins are moderate.
This was my first tasting. Very enjoyable but wasn’t “big” in the Napa sense and has not yet hit the secondary flavors. Not a dumb phase at all, just a little rain between those two peaks.
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Decanted for 2 hours and enjoyed with a Pichana roast, outstanding.
Dark purple almost black in color with aromas of black fruits, blackcurrant and hints of vanilla and oak. Nicely balanced and the black fruits are center stage along with some raisin, tobacco and an oak finish. Full bodied but I found the mid-palate to be a tad thin given the body and power of this wine.
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Huge dark fruits with balanced acidity and medium + tannins. Decanted and shared over two plus hours and it got better and better as the time passed. Will hold my other two for a couple more years as it should improve.
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1hr double decant. Deep ruby. Black cherry, blackberry, blueberry, a hint of tobacco, touch of oak. Tannins are still a bit tight, this wine could easily go another 10 years and still be young and fresh. Full bodied, long finish.
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Fantastic. Cali cab in the best way. As pointed out by others, a very big wine that pairs well with steak (frites). Plenty of acidity left at this point to accompany the dense black fruit and earth to produce a long and lingering finish. This was the second of 4 bottles but I wish I had several more. If you like your wines generally young, tannins are under control and this is ready for business.
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Massive wine. Black cherries, creme de cassis, and staying very true to the expression of the Cabernet Sauvignon varietal. Due to the high concentration of extracted fruit, it almost has a medicinal cough syrup like finish. This will stand up to the fatest cut of roasted meat and doesn’t pair ideally with beef tenderloin as it will overpower the meal. This is just a pup and while drinking well now, it will become more integrated and balanced in 5 more years. However, I’m not sure it will add more complexity. Decanted for 90 minutes.
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Decanted briefly. This is showing well with a gorgeous balance of blackcurrant, licorice, and deep earth that shouts St. Helena to me. Perhaps the best Private Reserve I've tasted. First of three bottles.
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Deep dark colors. Black fruit and tobacco on the nose. A hint of smoke and maybe cedar. Lacking fruit on the palate but came through as it sat for a while. Tannins have softened a bit and the wine has much structure. Very nice wine. Should last for a number of years longer.
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Better than the bottle I had last year. Opened two hours prior to dinner. Dark fruit on the nose. The palate was dark berries, plums, tobacco and a hint of spices. The finish was moderate to long. Drank against a 2012 Groth Reserve and this was the better wine.
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A wine that craves a steak, which I did, I paired with a porterhouse. Lots of creme de cassis and a touch of licorice and spicy oak. Classic in its style. Weighty, with beautiful color with slight red bricking at the edge. Full bodied, so smooth and silky, long legs. No hurry to drink this.
Deep ruby red. Tons of dark cocoa on the palate with black plums and minerality. Heavy tannins (7/10) with a full body. A bit young on the palate coated with a bit of heat, cinnamon, spice, gravel and blackberries. Long finish. Drink till 2035.
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Aromatic bouquet of violets. Solid tannins, integrated and smooth. Dark fruits throughout. Medium+ finish. Very nice wine that stood up well to the other bottles during the evening. Decanted for 2+ hours.
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Drank a 2012 Beringer Private Reserve a week ago and this was significantly better and a different creature all together. The 2012 was more elegant while this is a massive wine which makes sense with 81% of the fruit coming from Howell Mountain giving it a big backbone. An inky purple color with flavors of cassis, blackberry, tobacco, and licorice and a long finish. Decanted 2 hours and drank over another 2 hours. This was drinking best at the 4 hour mark. Last drank this 4 years ago at the winery and my note said give this 5 years. That makes sense as this wine will only get better with age. I typically drink my Howell Mountain wines with at least 5 years of bottle age and prefer them in the 7-10 year range depending on the tannins. I will try to hold off another 3 years till consuming my next bottle when this wine should gain a point or two.
3+ hour decant. Fruity on the nose, but much less so on the palate. Tannins, pencil lead, earth. Better with food. Still good on day two. Will age additional bottles for a while.
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A 2 hour decant but this still needs time in the cellar. Nice aromas of dark fruits. Prevalent tannins. Big but well balanced. This will really be very nice with some patience.
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Opened and slow ox'd for 3 hours then decanted using a vinturi and let it sit for another two hours. Dark fruit on the nose. The palate was blueberry, blackberry, plum, graphite and a hint of smoke. The finish was moderate to long. Served with a rotisserie chicken - set it and forget it.
Lovely floral aromas. Broodingly dark fruit on the nose. Rounded tannins, a little grit and built for cellaring. Surprisingly good wine and the scores it has received accurately reflects the quality and caliber of the wine.
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Enjoyed during lunch, decant in glass. Ruby, medium to strong tannins, black fruit, full body. More reasonable priced compared to other big Napa brand.
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Wonderful effort featuring plum, cherry, earth, pencil lead and spice. Very complex, long finish. This will benefit with additional cellaring. Look forward to the evolution. 93 to 95.
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Decanted for 3 hrs and finished over the next hr. Nose was tight and opened up a bit with beautiful red fruits after heavy swirling. Tannins were present but sweet. Hope my next bottle will open up more in 2-3 years.
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I did A Coravin tasting on one bottle and compare to the 45th anniversary of Sainte Jean… It was better but not superior. I wrote on the bottle the day I tasted it etc.
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This is a great bottle of red. Very tight upon opening. Decanted thru a vintauri, and blossomed after about 2 hours. Needs to breath to let the dark fruit out. Give it a little time to enjoy.
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That's great smelling Cabernet. 96% Cabernet at least. And the backbone - 60 to 62% is Howell Mountain Fruit. Tight but a luciousness of fruit. The sweet fruit element is from Spring Mountain.
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On the surface, this is a big, bold, traditional Napa cab. It's a great example of one and we could stop there and give it a strong rating. But you need to decant this one for at least an hour and then slowly savor the complexities in this bottle. The 2013 is more fruit and less earth than previous years. The layering of fruit this year is spectacular. Tannins are stronger, but that will translate to a longer life in your cellar and more stability.
Those of you who know my ratings know I am very strict when it comes to handing out anything above a 93. And while everyone has their own internal scale for wine, mine tops out at 93 and I reserve anything higher for the truly special wines. This qualifies. The 2013 will strengthen with time and I would wait until 2021 or later to enjoy the bulk of your supply, but it is eminently available today.
If I find a negative about Beringer Cab reserves, its the bottle to bottle variation. Just because one ‘13 Reserve tastes like “x”, it doesn’t necessarily mean the next will as well. I get the fact that the wine ages in many barrels, and some age differently than others, but even so, it’s a bit frustrating to me sometimes. This bottle is definitely beginning to come into its own, lots of blue fruit again, and the complexity is beginning to show. The problem was that this particular bottle was very tannic - much more so than any of the many previous ‘13 Reseves I’ve drank. There was a lot of sentiment, obviously a combination of tannin and tartaric, and I’d like to say that the tannin will either fall out or integrate in the coming years, but what bothers me is the fact that if I drink another in a year and the tannins are under control, does that mean that the tannins are coming around, or was it just bottle to bottle variation? In any case, I still loved the complexity of this wine, and look forward to working my way through the rest in the coming years.
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Opened for a client get together. It's got a nice punch right out of the gate and fruit forward. Would be better with a good decant or a few more years in the cellar to evolve.
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This is really about their seven single vineyard program. Long ago they went looking for mountain top vineyards in order to get more tannins. ANd the first was built out of glass mountain and they made a big monster that took a couple of years to mature.
They want allot of tannin and fruit character to match that tannin as well. And this was a rather ripe vintage so here it is.
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Hmmm. Way to young. Opened and decanted an hour and then drank over 2 more hours. Muted on the mid palate and the finish with a tannic wall keeping the wine from having a lot of years
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Typical napa valley cab. Gushing with lots of bright black fruit and sweetness. Decanted for 4 hours and was drinking well. Needs some time to settle down.
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Fantastic Wine, but far too young to experience its full potential. What was I thinking? Patience will be rewarded, I’m sure. Bold, mouth-puckering tannins are getting in the way now, but will shepherd the bountiful blueberry and plum fruit well into the next two decades. Enjoy now with serious decanting and a hunk of cheese, but return in a dozen years and swoon over a classy California Cab. So happy to have a dozen more bottles!
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Invite at a local store to taste this wine. Purple fruit - blackberry, dark cherry, currants, and a little dark plum. Solid depth, however, I thought the fruit came across fairly closed and tight. Apparently this bottle was open for a couple hours but not decanted. I'll refrain from rating it because I didn't think it was ready and frankly didn't show all that well in my opinion. I'm sure a decent decant would have helped. WA anticipated maturity 2023 to 2066. 96% cab, 3% cab franc, and 1% petit verdot.
93 is for now, this wine was way too young to pop. Decanted and hour and then poured back into the bottle with the cork and stuck in the fridge for 12 hours. Consumed over 4 hours. Red fruits, some pencil lead and cassis on the nose. In the mouth, tight as a drum, not revealing much in the way of complexity. Tightly wound, with serious structure, but very nicely balance at this point in its life. Will definitely get better, should not open another for 3-5 years.
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Decanted 3 hours, black and blue fruit, spice, pepper. Herbal tea, hints of cocoa, a little charcoal, some candied Jammy on the finish. Layered complexity, tannins are still tight. A+.
Starting to believe this is the best private reserve from Beringer I've had, maybe the best they've made. It's pretty amazing wine.
Im not sure if this needed a long decant but using the corvin this was very very tight and closed. Gave up nothing but an alcoholic finish. Very dark in color. I wasn't impressed by an means at first try.
Well, I told myself I'd not touch another one of these for a few years, but broke one out for Christmas anyway! Confirming my notes on the last bottle, once again a wonderful, although very young wine. I plan to buy a number of bottles while they're still easy to get and lock them down from myself. Huge body, classic Berlinger oak and toast, blue tones of berry, and again that perfect acid and tanin balance. Nothing sticks out as dominant in this wine, rather, everything is harmonious. Great job Beringer.
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This is MY style of wine - it's big, its tannin and acidity are balanced, and silky. Ok, on the open I noticed plenty of toasty oak, as in many of the PR's, but very well integrated and balanced. The tannin is subtle but there, a strong backbone for aging - this is certainly a full bodied wine. I would not call this a fruit bomb, but plenty of blue fruit to me, making it a pleasant drink even now. This wine is YOUNG! The components are WAY to easily distinguished right now - I'll lay more than a few down and try again in 3-5 years. Beringer PR's are one of my favorite wines, no doubt.
Big wine, decanted 3 1/2 hours in a wide bodied decanted. Easily Decant 4-5 hours before serving, or wait till 2022 before drinking. Black fruit, blue fruit, hints of cedar, fine tobacco, chocolate and spice and eucalyptus, some together in almost perfect harmony. A+
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Drank at a private tasting at the winery after drinking a 2012 Private Reserve. This is a BIG wine. While I preferred the 2012 this has all the ingredients to be great and may eventually surpass the 2012. This probably needs at least 5 years in the cellar and could add a couple of points. Will buy some bottles to lay down for a while.
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Black fruit, red fruit, asian tea, cooa, spice, pepper, tannins on the finish, hints of eucayptus, complexity, hugh backbone, great lengh on the finish. A+ (97-98)
5/19/2024 - 82Latour wrote: flawed
Completely flat. Off
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5/11/2024 - americanstorm Likes this wine:
Three hour decant. Pretty nose of dark red/blue fruits. Very dusty mouthfeel with spice and fine tannins. Long finish. Seemed to fade a little after about 5 hours. 93+
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5/4/2024 - ralaspech wrote: 91 Points
On opening, all chocolate, oak and tannins. Improved slightly with 2 hours in decanter as fruit came forward a bit. Generally disappointing. 90-91
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4/10/2024 - thelostverse wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for three hours prior to dinner. Classic Napa cab with dark fruits and excellent balance. Still mostly primary at this point, but no apparent hurry.
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3/8/2024 - ajm2573 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Good structure lots of fruit! Be sure to decant for 2 hours.
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2/14/2024 - rnjbond wrote: 93 Points
Opened this bottle for Valentine's Day.
Took about two hours of decanting to really open up. Initial taste was very fruity.
Nose of dark cherry and wet dirt.
Cherry skin and nice tannins on the palette.
Could benefit from a few more years in the bottle.
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1/20/2024 - drmilkweed Likes this wine: 95 Points
Deeply concentrated and intense black fruit, mint, cocoa, menthol, silky tannins prominent, long complex finish. Great now, but patience would reward.
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1/14/2024 - jfaulk Likes this wine: 93 Points
Strong, black fruit on the nose & coating the mouth. Big gobsmack! Fun, complex wine with dusty tannins
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1/6/2024 - galewskj wrote: 93 Points
$100+ vs 3.0: See 3Day for treatment, it was his bottle. If you think Beringer only makes crap, try this wine! This is a gorgeous and traditional cabernet that is shining now, but will likely improve with time. Plum, cassis, figs, rich earth, violet, tobacco. 93++.
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1/6/2024 - MN Wine Junkie Likes this wine: 93 Points
$100+ Tasting (Liz's House): 2 hour decant plus another 4 hours Slo-O in the bottle before consumption.
This was served single blind with a 2015 Davenport Continuity. It was pretty easy for me to pick out this wine. I picked it out just from the nose and confirmed with the palate. No contest in my mind.....and I am usually not good in blind tastings.
This wine is still painfully young and tannic, but shows dark fruit and earthy notes on the nose, with hints of spice. Palate shows dark fruit, semi-grippy tannins, some earthy notes, graphite and some toasty oak. Well structured and could use a couple more years in the cellar. Good, but has much more potential. 93 to 93+ today.
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1/6/2024 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 93 Points
Liz's Annual $100 Plus Tasting (Minneapolis, MN): Love this wine but more importantly barely edged out the great Davenport Cellars 15 Continuity. As the CEO of the Davenport wines love this. I like this wine and will be buying more. Concentrated with blueberries, spice, earth, dust, mild oak, vanilla and floral notes. Thanks to the tasting tonight to show blind tastings rule.
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1/4/2024 - kandrfairview Likes this wine: 94 Points
My palate can’t tell you what nuances the wine has, but we haven’t had a bad experience with any vintages of the Private Reserve when we waited for at least six years with proper cellaring.
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1/1/2024 - kingboo wrote: 98 Points
Another stunner from Beringer. Nearly flawless. Deeply complex, balanced acidity, rich blue and black fruit. Happy New Year!
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12/20/2023 - Geaux Tigers wrote: 93 Points
Good not great, drinkable at PnP but got better over 90 min of drinking. Black cherry, black raspberry, saline, charcoal, hint of eucalyptus, tea leaves, some green bitterness on the finish but not acidic. Hollow mid palate. Nice inky texture.
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12/20/2023 - jessyancey wrote:
Gift to Dave
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11/24/2023 - Happytoro Likes this wine: 95 Points
Had this over Thanksgiving but still very memorable. Dark and concentrated. Young but in now way harsh and approachable. Loaded with jammy fruits. This reminds me of typical Napa Bordeaux blend. The strength of core fruits covered any complexity and also likely hasn't developed the secondary notes yet. I have full confidence this will improve with age and would hope to have opportunity to have again in 10 years. 95+
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11/14/2023 - Raizes Likes this wine: 89 Points
黑醋栗、黑李子、甘草、烟熏,一点薄荷和泥土气息,清晰而直接。香气并不复杂,但入口的集中度很好,绽放的方式也有更好的节奏和层次。均衡、完整、沉稳、有力,有良好的酸度来提供清新感,只是欠缺一点趣味和个性。
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11/4/2023 - Grinner wrote: 96 Points
25th Annual Lyon 10 Year Retrospective (Lyon Down Inn): 96+ and my WOTN by a stave over the Darioush. My notes in this tasting are usually very short by now but not for this bottle! An open nose of black plum, creme de cassis, fig jam, black cherry, minerals/iron, and stone are reflected on the palate. You can just hear Chris Berman, "It. Could. Go. All. The. WAY!" 96 on day 2 with the glycerin being a hair more obvious while you wax poetic on the balance.
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10/30/2023 - Quaffing in Colorado Likes this wine: 95 Points
Word to Bigboy's notes. Big, brooding, balanced, and delicious Beringer.
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9/23/2023 - BigBoy_Sonoma Likes this wine: 97 Points
It's a big wine with big tannins but some supple, silky characteristics. It's time to start drinking 2013 in 2023.
Black fruit, cassis, pepper, cedar, leather, graphite, tobacco, layers of spice, hints of cocoa, and finishes with some smokey oak. It's still youthful but has an elegance. A+ (97)
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9/6/2023 - Mdubnik Likes this wine: 96 Points
Singing. Awesome!
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8/26/2023 - kandrfairview Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nice typical Berninger. Full bodied, best decanted for an hour or so
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7/13/2023 - brennan18 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent - decanted for an hour or so and then enjoyed with dinner of NY Strip steak. Loads of blue and black fruit, leather, a touch of mint. Deep and luscious wine that drinks very smoothly with still some gripping tannins. This is still young - easily can go another 6-8 years of bottle age without losing a step.
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7/6/2023 - Winechat63 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent wine. Day 1 was very good, but day2, which was 3 days later. Was even better. Really our very first beringer outside the tasting we had at their winery. This drinking great right now. Have one more and will wait 1-3 years.
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6/24/2023 - Charlie.Gail Likes this wine: 93 Points
A very bold Cab. The bottle I opened had a lot of sediment. I should have poured the wine through a strainer.
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6/2/2023 - kandrfairview Likes this wine: 93 Points
Another solid Private Reserve vintage
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5/9/2023 - Kevin Mak Likes this wine: 95 Points
Deep Ruby with Purple Rim
Medium Acidity
Medium Tannin
High Alcohol
Full Bodied
Long Finish
Pronounced
- Blackberry, Black Cherry, Black Plum, Cassis, Blueberry, Vanilla, Cinnamon, Liquorice, Caramel, Chocolate, Violet, Rose, Smoke, Tobacco
Intense black fruits, sweet spices, and floral notes. Silky smooth and well integrated tannins, very round mouthfeel. This wine is pure excellence, it's so flavourful and dense, layered and complex, with a very solid structure. Drink or hold
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4/21/2023 - tomoem Likes this wine: 94 Points
A still improving Berlinger Private Reserve. Slightly more aromatic than I was expecting. I get blackberry, cassis, some iron and even lead. The finish is viscous lingering fruit amidst a creamy mouthfeel. This is a very well made wine which at its age is only going to get better.
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3/31/2023 - bubbachumps wrote: 95 Points
Consistent with my prior notes, holding up very well at or near peak and with many years ahead of it.
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3/25/2023 - AAJR Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dbcanted & enjoyed over 3 hours. Aromas of dark fruit. Full bodied with Dark berries, cassis, spice & dark chocolate flavors. Very solid Napa Cab.Enjoyed with a charcuterie board.
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3/14/2023 - DavilaDC Likes this wine: 93 Points
PnP, sit back and enjoy.
Big Napa black fruit and a menthol finish.
Still getting better.
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12/31/2022 - cblinstrub Likes this wine: 93 Points
Last bottle of wine in 2022. Still a baby.
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12/24/2022 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Last tasted August 2021. This has evolved a bit since then as the wine has integrated more and the tannin has softened with a silky texture. However, I detect a slight bit of heat and alcohol on the finish this time. Maybe more time in the bottle will mellow this out? Not sure. Paired nicely with prime standing rib roast.
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11/30/2022 - WineRay05 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Lots of dark fruits. Medium acidity, full body. Strong tannins still present. I believe this will continue to drink nicely for another 10 years.
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9/22/2022 - bubbachumps wrote: 95 Points
Holding up really well. Still a decent amount of tannin to integrate. With a couple of hours in the decanter, ready to go. Showing both primary and secondary characteristics. Notes of blackberry, boysenberry, cassis, black cherry and some pencil lead on a rich and complex nose. On the palate well structured and dense. This is such a well-built wine. Many years oof life ahead for it, but drinking very well at 9 years old with a couple hours of aeration. Really good win, an amazing qpr.
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9/14/2022 - PourSomeRed wrote: 91 Points
I should have read the reviews. Needs at least 2 hours to open up. Very good after that. I would give it at least 2 years before you drink it.
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8/7/2022 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 95 Points
Pop and pour. Dense, chewy, earthy, and intense. This required an hour or so to open up and is still quite youthful. It's bold enough to stand up to almost any food and quite delicious.
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7/7/2022 - MuddyBear wrote: 91 Points
PNP. Much better than the 2012 IMO - better balance, less extracted, oak is more integrated. Still, a big wine that pulls no punches.
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7/1/2022 - Dr. Wine MD PhD ;) Likes this wine: 91 Points
Typical Napa cab. will update later after 2nd day. dark, tannic, black fruit, full body and some oak with good length
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4/2/2022 - cblinstrub wrote: 95 Points
Outstanding decanted for an hour. Needed 2 more to develop. Multiple layers of dark blackberry fruit, mint, acid and tannins to develop. Can’t wait to pop the next bottle.
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3/11/2022 - RPerro Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted this for about an hour, and it definitely could have used a lot more. Still a baby. Cassis and black cherry fruits, tobacco leaf, vanilla and oak. Tannins are still quite primary and chunky. Thought I'd keep half the bottle overnight and see how it developed, and that was a complete disaster (hence the lower score). Day 2 showed stewed fruit, overly sweet and not enjoyable at all. Nothing like dumping a $100+ bottle of wine down the drain. Drink 2023-2043.
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2/28/2022 - shaferguy91 wrote: 94 Points
Decanted 1.5 hours.
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2/25/2022 - Nbkat8 wrote: 94 Points
if you want to get the most out of this decant for 2 hours, I PnP and it needed time to open up. This is going to great places with some age on it. Full body cab well made, high structure and intense.
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1/17/2022 - djjagdish Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanter 2 hours. Tar, eucalyptus, vanilla, and baking spices on the nose. Cassis, black plumb, cedar, and fine grained tannins on the finish. Really nice expression of Napa Cabernet.
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1/15/2022 - Tremendous_Slouch wrote: 93 Points
Black fruits dominate flavor. Some hints of sweet tobacco and cedar. Fruit is still the center here, little to no leather/forest/bdx. Tannins are moderate.
This was my first tasting. Very enjoyable but wasn’t “big” in the Napa sense and has not yet hit the secondary flavors. Not a dumb phase at all, just a little rain between those two peaks.
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12/28/2021 - Jabdr104 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very full bodied dark ruby color. Blackberry prominent and strong tannins are present. Also notes of coffee. Very good wine.
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12/25/2021 - brouigu1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for 2 hours and enjoyed with a Pichana roast, outstanding.
Dark purple almost black in color with aromas of black fruits, blackcurrant and hints of vanilla and oak. Nicely balanced and the black fruits are center stage along with some raisin, tobacco and an oak finish. Full bodied but I found the mid-palate to be a tad thin given the body and power of this wine.
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12/23/2021 - srwatters Likes this wine: 94 Points
Huge dark fruits with balanced acidity and medium + tannins. Decanted and shared over two plus hours and it got better and better as the time passed. Will hold my other two for a couple more years as it should improve.
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11/12/2021 - wdcwineguys Likes this wine: 93 Points
1hr double decant. Deep ruby. Black cherry, blackberry, blueberry, a hint of tobacco, touch of oak. Tannins are still a bit tight, this wine could easily go another 10 years and still be young and fresh. Full bodied, long finish.
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10/23/2021 - Gkautry Likes this wine: 96 Points
First of six. First was corked. This bottle hit the anticipated notes. May be a point or two below the ‘14 in my opinion. Excellent wine. 96
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9/18/2021 - hondius Likes this wine: 96 Points
Fantastic. Cali cab in the best way. As pointed out by others, a very big wine that pairs well with steak (frites). Plenty of acidity left at this point to accompany the dense black fruit and earth to produce a long and lingering finish. This was the second of 4 bottles but I wish I had several more. If you like your wines generally young, tannins are under control and this is ready for business.
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9/10/2021 - cblinstrub wrote: 96 Points
Yummy.
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8/7/2021 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Massive wine. Black cherries, creme de cassis, and staying very true to the expression of the Cabernet Sauvignon varietal. Due to the high concentration of extracted fruit, it almost has a medicinal cough syrup like finish. This will stand up to the fatest cut of roasted meat and doesn’t pair ideally with beef tenderloin as it will overpower the meal. This is just a pup and while drinking well now, it will become more integrated and balanced in 5 more years. However, I’m not sure it will add more complexity. Decanted for 90 minutes.
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8/1/2021 - Twopawsup Likes this wine: 93 Points
Went perfect with the surf and turf at our wine dinner.
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6/12/2021 - jstrovel@gmail.com Likes this wine: 97 Points
a real stunner of a wine. This one has 30 years to go as well. Beautiful cab.
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5/29/2021 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted briefly. This is showing well with a gorgeous balance of blackcurrant, licorice, and deep earth that shouts St. Helena to me. Perhaps the best Private Reserve I've tasted. First of three bottles.
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5/29/2021 - UKCatFan Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep dark colors. Black fruit and tobacco on the nose. A hint of smoke and maybe cedar. Lacking fruit on the palate but came through as it sat for a while. Tannins have softened a bit and the wine has much structure. Very nice wine. Should last for a number of years longer.
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5/12/2021 - markcic Likes this wine: 93 Points
Better than the bottle I had last year. Opened two hours prior to dinner. Dark fruit on the nose. The palate was dark berries, plums, tobacco and a hint of spices. The finish was moderate to long. Drank against a 2012 Groth Reserve and this was the better wine.
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4/5/2021 - Gkautry Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very dry and tight. Lots of structure. Only decanted for about an hour. Needed more time. A good wine.
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2/8/2021 - wineotim wrote: 94 Points
A wine that craves a steak, which I did, I paired with a porterhouse. Lots of creme de cassis and a touch of licorice and spicy oak. Classic in its style. Weighty, with beautiful color with slight red bricking at the edge. Full bodied, so smooth and silky, long legs. No hurry to drink this.
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1/27/2021 - pkouchu wrote: 93 Points
blackberries, blue florals, mocha, cedar, cigar box, black currant, cassis and licorice.
Bold palate, dark brooding fruit with a smoky mid-palate. Tannins are still relatively big, not sure if the fruit will outlast it
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1/13/2021 - ralaspech wrote: 92 Points
Big cabernet style--dark currant, plum, cedar and mocha flavors matched with big but proportional tannins.
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1/10/2021 - Crackerbag wrote:
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1/8/2021 - Sonoma-W Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wow -- intense dark fruit -- very strong tannins -- a long term keeper
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12/25/2020 - Vinum18 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very smooth. Good earthy undertones.
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12/24/2020 - Artbreadman Likes this wine: 96 Points
Outstanding and ready to drink. Could improve a bit over time as the tannins are quite bold but no reason to wait as it is awesome now. Great QPR
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12/5/2020 - Hooman Likes this wine: 95 Points
Bold and beautiful! A real contender at $120 a bottle.
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11/6/2020 - cab blends wrote: 94 Points
Friday light tasting (Home with Greg): NOT blind
This is still quite a powerhouse. Very powerful tannins (8) and full bodied.
Dark Chocolate, hints of petroleum. This can still last for a long time.
Bark and wood on the nose.
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11/6/2020 - Millennial Drinkers wrote: 93 Points
Deep ruby red. Tons of dark cocoa on the palate with black plums and minerality. Heavy tannins (7/10) with a full body. A bit young on the palate coated with a bit of heat, cinnamon, spice, gravel and blackberries. Long finish. Drink till 2035.
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10/14/2020 - mats13 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent Cab, excellent ripe year. Still grippy. Hold if you can, but good on you if you can wait for it.
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8/8/2020 - Tym4wine Likes this wine: 91 Points
Aromatic bouquet of violets. Solid tannins, integrated and smooth. Dark fruits throughout. Medium+ finish. Very nice wine that stood up well to the other bottles during the evening. Decanted for 2+ hours.
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5/19/2020 - RayT Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drank a 2012 Beringer Private Reserve a week ago and this was significantly better and a different creature all together. The 2012 was more elegant while this is a massive wine which makes sense with 81% of the fruit coming from Howell Mountain giving it a big backbone. An inky purple color with flavors of cassis, blackberry, tobacco, and licorice and a long finish. Decanted 2 hours and drank over another 2 hours. This was drinking best at the 4 hour mark. Last drank this 4 years ago at the winery and my note said give this 5 years. That makes sense as this wine will only get better with age. I typically drink my Howell Mountain wines with at least 5 years of bottle age and prefer them in the 7-10 year range depending on the tannins. I will try to hold off another 3 years till consuming my next bottle when this wine should gain a point or two.
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5/2/2020 - Desplainesb wrote:
3+ hour decant. Fruity on the nose, but much less so on the palate. Tannins, pencil lead, earth. Better with food. Still good on day two.
Will age additional bottles for a while.
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5/2/2020 - StormyWeather Likes this wine: 93 Points
A 2 hour decant but this still needs time in the cellar. Nice aromas of dark fruits. Prevalent tannins. Big but well balanced. This will really be very nice with some patience.
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4/27/2020 - markcic Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened and slow ox'd for 3 hours then decanted using a vinturi and let it sit for another two hours. Dark fruit on the nose. The palate was blueberry, blackberry, plum, graphite and a hint of smoke. The finish was moderate to long. Served with a rotisserie chicken - set it and forget it.
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3/21/2020 - goonar182 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Nose not that great early- musty. Will see as it opens up. Great color, great mouthfeel and taste- fruity. Great wine, hope nose gets better.
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3/7/2020 - Tym4wine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lovely floral aromas. Broodingly dark fruit on the nose. Rounded tannins, a little grit and built for cellaring. Surprisingly good wine and the scores it has received accurately reflects the quality and caliber of the wine.
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1/28/2020 - SalN wrote: 93 Points
Had this next to a 2009. This one was smoother than the older bottle. It was good but not great.
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1/10/2020 - Alex Choi Likes this wine: 92 Points
Enjoyed during lunch, decant in glass. Ruby, medium to strong tannins, black fruit, full body. More reasonable priced compared to other big Napa brand.
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12/28/2019 - seijaro Likes this wine: 96 Points
Another bottle, same raves... drank next to a 2013 Dancing Hares, it beat that by a point because it was much smoother. A lovely mature CA Cab.
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11/30/2019 - PourSomeRed wrote: 93 Points
Birthday wine. Very nice. Looking forward to seeing how this evolves.
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11/8/2019 - bubbachumps wrote: 95 Points
Keeps getting better, consistent with my prior notes, but more integrated.
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11/3/2019 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 93 Points
Wonderful effort featuring plum, cherry, earth, pencil lead and spice. Very complex, long finish. This will benefit with additional cellaring. Look forward to the evolution. 93 to 95.
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10/26/2019 - Sonoma-W Likes this wine: 93 Points
Really quite good -- the first in a while
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10/15/2019 - FredericoWines Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for 3 hrs and finished over the next hr. Nose was tight and opened up a bit with beautiful red fruits after heavy swirling. Tannins were present but sweet. Hope my next bottle will open up more in 2-3 years.
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9/15/2019 - Drozdoff wrote:
I did A Coravin tasting on one bottle and compare to the 45th anniversary of Sainte Jean… It was better but not superior. I wrote on the bottle the day I tasted it etc.
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9/6/2019 - seijaro Likes this wine: 95 Points
A wonderful Napa Cab from a reliable old name. The full CA treatment, loads of fruit that fills the mouth. Bravo!
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8/18/2019 - Thirsty1 Likes this wine:
This is a great bottle of red. Very tight upon opening. Decanted thru a vintauri, and blossomed after about 2 hours. Needs to breath to let the dark fruit out. Give it a little time to enjoy.
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8/7/2019 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
That's great smelling Cabernet. 96% Cabernet at least. And the backbone - 60 to 62% is Howell Mountain Fruit. Tight but a luciousness of fruit. The sweet fruit element is from Spring Mountain.
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6/2/2019 - Hoppert Likes this wine: 95 Points
On the surface, this is a big, bold, traditional Napa cab. It's a great example of one and we could stop there and give it a strong rating. But you need to decant this one for at least an hour and then slowly savor the complexities in this bottle. The 2013 is more fruit and less earth than previous years. The layering of fruit this year is spectacular. Tannins are stronger, but that will translate to a longer life in your cellar and more stability.
Those of you who know my ratings know I am very strict when it comes to handing out anything above a 93. And while everyone has their own internal scale for wine, mine tops out at 93 and I reserve anything higher for the truly special wines. This qualifies. The 2013 will strengthen with time and I would wait until 2021 or later to enjoy the bulk of your supply, but it is eminently available today.
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4/26/2019 - poppacork wrote: 89 Points
There is some good classic Cabernet fruit expression here with nice aromatics, but unfortunately it is obscured on the palate by bitter oaky tannins.
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3/17/2019 - fatcabbie wrote: 95 Points
Drank beside the 1985 Private Reserve. Huge wine with a great future. Forget it for at least 10 years. The 85 showed what it can become.
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3/6/2019 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Seven vineyards go into this. Big and gutsy Napa fruit.
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2/10/2019 - Ebartone Likes this wine: 93 Points
If I find a negative about Beringer Cab reserves, its the bottle to bottle variation. Just because one ‘13 Reserve tastes like “x”, it doesn’t necessarily mean the next will as well. I get the fact that the wine ages in many barrels, and some age differently than others, but even so, it’s a bit frustrating to me sometimes. This bottle is definitely beginning to come into its own, lots of blue fruit again, and the complexity is beginning to show. The problem was that this particular bottle was very tannic - much more so than any of the many previous ‘13 Reseves I’ve drank. There was a lot of sentiment, obviously a combination of tannin and tartaric, and I’d like to say that the tannin will either fall out or integrate in the coming years, but what bothers me is the fact that if I drink another in a year and the tannins are under control, does that mean that the tannins are coming around, or was it just bottle to bottle variation? In any case, I still loved the complexity of this wine, and look forward to working my way through the rest in the coming years.
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12/20/2018 - diane.forgy@dianeforgy.com Likes this wine: 90 Points
Opened for a client get together. It's got a nice punch right out of the gate and fruit forward. Would be better with a good decant or a few more years in the cellar to evolve.
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11/12/2018 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Lots of structure and dry tannin on the back end.
This is really about their seven single vineyard program. Long ago they went looking for mountain top vineyards in order to get more tannins. ANd the first was built out of glass mountain and they made a big monster that took a couple of years to mature.
They want allot of tannin and fruit character to match that tannin as well. And this was a rather ripe vintage so here it is.
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10/27/2018 - bubbachumps wrote: 93 Points
Still needs time in the bottle, decanted 8 hours and consumed over 2. Consistent with my prior notes
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4/2/2018 - bubbachumps wrote: 94 Points
Consistent with my prior notes except a tad more open for business. Delicious.
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3/22/2018 - GlenviewGSW wrote:
Hmmm. Way to young. Opened and decanted an hour and then drank over 2 more hours. Muted on the mid palate and the finish with a tannic wall keeping the wine from having a lot of years
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1/7/2018 - Winedog1 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Deep purple color. Grape popsicle taste. Tannic. Tight.
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12/23/2017 - Thirsty1 Likes this wine:
Typical napa valley cab. Gushing with lots of bright black fruit and sweetness. Decanted for 4 hours and was drinking well. Needs some time to settle down.
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10/19/2017 - 2p8h Likes this wine: 96 Points
Fantastic Wine, but far too young to experience its full potential. What was I thinking? Patience will be rewarded, I’m sure. Bold, mouth-puckering tannins are getting in the way now, but will shepherd the bountiful blueberry and plum fruit well into the next two decades. Enjoy now with serious decanting and a hunk of cheese, but return in a dozen years and swoon over a classy California Cab. So happy to have a dozen more bottles!
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8/2/2017 - Badmonkey wrote:
Invite at a local store to taste this wine. Purple fruit - blackberry, dark cherry, currants, and a little dark plum. Solid depth, however, I thought the fruit came across fairly closed and tight. Apparently this bottle was open for a couple hours but not decanted. I'll refrain from rating it because I didn't think it was ready and frankly didn't show all that well in my opinion. I'm sure a decent decant would have helped. WA anticipated maturity 2023 to 2066. 96% cab, 3% cab franc, and 1% petit verdot.
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6/16/2017 - bubbachumps wrote: 93 Points
93 is for now, this wine was way too young to pop. Decanted and hour and then poured back into the bottle with the cork and stuck in the fridge for 12 hours. Consumed over 4 hours. Red fruits, some pencil lead and cassis on the nose. In the mouth, tight as a drum, not revealing much in the way of complexity. Tightly wound, with serious structure, but very nicely balance at this point in its life. Will definitely get better, should not open another for 3-5 years.
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5/13/2017 - RussK wrote: 90 Points
Russk. Wine Spectator Gran Tour at the Fontainebleau. Too young.
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4/29/2017 - BigBoy_Sonoma Likes this wine: 98 Points
Decanted 3 hours, black and blue fruit, spice, pepper. Herbal tea, hints of cocoa, a little charcoal, some candied Jammy on the finish. Layered complexity, tannins are still tight. A+.
Starting to believe this is the best private reserve from Beringer I've had, maybe the best they've made. It's pretty amazing wine.
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2/25/2017 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine:
Im not sure if this needed a long decant but using the corvin this was very very tight and closed. Gave up nothing but an alcoholic finish. Very dark in color. I wasn't impressed by an means at first try.
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12/25/2016 - Ebartone Likes this wine: 97 Points
Well, I told myself I'd not touch another one of these for a few years, but broke one out for Christmas anyway! Confirming my notes on the last bottle, once again a wonderful, although very young wine. I plan to buy a number of bottles while they're still easy to get and lock them down from myself. Huge body, classic Berlinger oak and toast, blue tones of berry, and again that perfect acid and tanin balance. Nothing sticks out as dominant in this wine, rather, everything is harmonious. Great job Beringer.
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12/11/2016 - Ebartone Likes this wine: 97 Points
This is MY style of wine - it's big, its tannin and acidity are balanced, and silky. Ok, on the open I noticed plenty of toasty oak, as in many of the PR's, but very well integrated and balanced. The tannin is subtle but there, a strong backbone for aging - this is certainly a full bodied wine. I would not call this a fruit bomb, but plenty of blue fruit to me, making it a pleasant drink even now. This wine is YOUNG! The components are WAY to easily distinguished right now - I'll lay more than a few down and try again in 3-5 years. Beringer PR's are one of my favorite wines, no doubt.
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12/5/2016 - andreawine Likes this wine: 88 Points
John thought this one was too heavy and gooey. To me, it was classically chocolatey and plummy. I do think the structure was a little soft, though.
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12/3/2016 - BigBoy_Sonoma Likes this wine: 98 Points
Started by decanting a bottle from the 3L at 2 pm.
This is amazing wine. Black fruit, spice, pepper, chocolate,herbal notes, smokey oak. a+
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11/27/2016 - BigBoy_Sonoma Likes this wine: 98 Points
Big wine, decanted 3 1/2 hours in a wide bodied decanted. Easily Decant 4-5 hours before serving, or wait till 2022 before drinking. Black fruit, blue fruit, hints of cedar, fine tobacco, chocolate and spice and eucalyptus, some together in almost perfect harmony. A+
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10/13/2016 - RayT wrote: 94 Points
Drank at a private tasting at the winery after drinking a 2012 Private Reserve. This is a BIG wine. While I preferred the 2012 this has all the ingredients to be great and may eventually surpass the 2012. This probably needs at least 5 years in the cellar and could add a couple of points. Will buy some bottles to lay down for a while.
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9/24/2016 - BigBoy_Sonoma Likes this wine: 98 Points
Black fruit, red fruit, asian tea, cooa, spice, pepper, tannins on the finish, hints of eucayptus, complexity, hugh backbone, great lengh on the finish. A+ (97-98)
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