2004 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve

(14.4% alcohol): Healthy dark ruby-red. Complex, scented nose offers cassis, blackberry, smoke, coffee, licorice, minerals and a whiff of meat. Sweet and fine-grained in the mouth, with harmonious acidity giving shape to the enticing dark berry, mineral and earth flavors. Displays a lightly saline quality on the terrific finish, which offers good tannic grip and saturates the mouth with perfume.

I’ll start with the best wine, which is the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve, which is a blend of 6% Bancroft, 42% Steinhauer, 18% St. Helena Home Vineyard, 11% Marston, 3% Chabot, 3% Rancho del Oso, and 2% Lampyridae fruit. This spectacular 2004 has notes of barbecue smoke, roasted meats, black currants, licorice and a blackberry-like richness. Hints of coffee bean and white chocolate also make an appearance in this plump, full-bodied, voluptuously textured, dense ruby/purple-colored wine. This is a beauty. The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve is approaching its late adolescence and should hold beautifully for at least another 10-15 years. As long-time readers know, Beringer’s Private Reserve is a blend of all of the single-vineyard cuvees in various percentages that differ considerably depending on the vintage. They are available through the Private Members Club at Beringer and are not put on the market, as the only one to be released is the Private Reserve, which proves the blending skills of the winemakers. And those winemakers have been at Beringer for a long time, including Ed Sbragia, and Laurie Hook. As for the single-vineyard wines, I’ll keep my notes short, since these are only available to members. Tel. (866) 708-9463

Dark berry and oak spice aromas. Rich, mouthfilling black currant and black cherry, plus toast, minerals and cedar. Full bodied and with substantial tannic structure, it remains on the elegant side and promises rewards with cellaring. (LM)