Winemaker Notes
Lighter than Ed remembers it.
Dark fruit jamminess, yet fruit is subdued compared to past.
Pine, cedar, peppery, cocoa, mint, spicy, savory, menthol and tertiary flavors.
Hibernating right now, best to hold.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Still firm, intense and tannic, but not out of line, with lots of vitality and pure, ripe, rich flavors built around a core of juicy black cherry and blackberry. Turns chocolaty on the finish; has a long life ahead, though it's enjoyable now.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The generously endowed, dark purple-colored 1990 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve is a rich, opulent, full-bodied wine loaded with layers of flavor, copious amounts of juicy fruit, sweet tannin, and moderate amounts of lavish oak. Less muscular and concentrated than the 1991, it is a superb expression of a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Beringer continues to make a strong case for being California's most popular and hottest winery.
As California's longest continuously operating winery, Beringer has been defining Napa Valley winemaking since it was founded by Jacob and Frederick Beringer in 1876. By continuing that pioneering spirit, Beringer established many 'firsts' as leaders in the wine industry. They were one of the first gravity fed facilities and among the first to operate using hand dug caves and cellars. Beringer were the first to give public tours in 1934, starting a Napa Valley hospitality tradition. They are the first and only winery to have both a red and a white wine named #1 Wine of the Year by Wine Spectator Magazine. Today, they proudly celebrate and remain true to their pioneering legacy.
One of the most prestigious wines of the world capable of great power and grace, Napa Valley Cabernet is a leading force in the world of fine, famous, collectible red wine. Today the Napa Valley and Cabernet Sauvignon are so intrinsically linked that it is difficult to discuss one without the other. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that this marriage came to light; sudden international recognition rained upon Napa with the victory of the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1976 Judgement of Paris.
Cabernet Sauvignon undoubtedly dominates Napa Valley today, covering half of the land under vine, commanding the highest prices per ton and earning the most critical acclaim. Cabernet Sauvignon’s structure, acidity, capacity to thrive in multiple environs and ability to express nuances of vintage make it perfect for Napa Valley where incredible soil and geographical diversity are found and the climate is perfect for grape growing. Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that express specific characteristics based on situation, slope and soil—as a perfect example, Rutherford’s famous dust or Stags Leap District's tart cherry flavors.