Winemaker Notes
Tobacco, deep, dark syrup, black fruit, ripe cherries, coco, dried herbs and spice.
Nice acid balance and firm tannins.
Lots of blackberry, cherry and cherry cola.
Mushroom at the beginning, then toffee, candy character.
Professional Ratings
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Connoisseurs' Guide
Beringer has not received enough credit over the years for the success of its flagship Cabernet Sauvignon, and yet it always seems to show well with age when others are beginning to break down. In this vintage, it has come further than any of the wines tasted, and it now features complex cedary, lightly herbal and dried currant aromas whose fruit may have diminished over time but whose energy and richness continue apace. And it is much the same in the mouth where its polished, supple entry leads into still alive flavors and noticeable tannins.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Alcohol: 14.1% Blend: 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc; Harvest Dates: October 12 to November 11. A more mineral-dominated wine, the 1993 Private Reserve offers notes of cedarwood, black cherries, black currants, damp earth, underbrush and forest floor. It is the product of a lower than normal crop, some shatter during berry set and a general reduction of fruit by nearly 30% in some vineyards. August and September alternated between cool periods and large heat spikes. This was a challenging year, but the seemingly fully mature wine has turned out very well.
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.