Wine: 2004 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve
Region: California
Sokolin Price: $79.95
Rating: 95 RP
One of the best things about the business we are in is that we have the rare privilege of sampling the world's greatest wines. It just so happens that the greatest wines really come from all over the globe. While once thought to be inferior and unable to live up to French wines, US wines and those from new emerging regions have been gaining a real following. This is no doubt due to the very high quality being achieved by the vintners. As part of our field tastings, we will take our readers on a tour around the world from one wine region to the next. This is a trip that any wine lover should not miss.
Last evening we had the privilege of tasting a wine from the well known producer, Beringer. We first opened the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve to calibrate before decanting, the bouquet had the essence of saddle leather, spice, chocolate, berries and a hint of earth. The color was a very dark red, surprisingly not as dark purple as we had expected. On the palate the wine immediately showed very well. It was very well balanced, exhibited bright fruit and a medium bodied mouthfeel. It had a smooth, soft and velvety finish that lasted at least 30 seconds. It was so soft that it felt like silk floating across your palate!
After re-pouring from the decanter, it did gain weight and was still very balanced but one could definitely taste an increase in acidity. The alcohol, or as we like to call it "heat", was much more prominent. The wine continued to improve as the night went along. Sadly, we only had one bottle of this stellar wine.
Our recommendation: The wine is drinking well now even at its young age, but is only going to get better over the next 20 years. It would be an amazing wine to serve at a holiday party or to pull out of your cellar for that special occasion.