1985 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet

K

Kay Bixler

Kay Bixler
Was gifted a bottle of this as a thank you for feeding the neighbors cats. Bottle is in pristine condition from a cold cellar. Pretty generous thank you for slinging a little kibble.

Knowing nothing about the state of affairs at Beringer in 1985, is this something to save for the geeks, or one to drink tonight with roast chicken?
 
originally posted by Kay Bixler:
1985 Beringer Private Reserve CabernetWas gifted a bottle of this as a thank you for feeding the neighbors cats. Bottle is in pristine condition from a cold cellar. Pretty generous thank you for slinging a little kibble.

Knowing nothing about the state of affairs at Beringer in 1985, is this something to save for the geeks, or one to drink tonight with roast chicken?
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the Chabot bottling from 1985 was quite impressive about 5 yrs ago....a nice mature cab...not really a geek wine
 
I think that was a big era for cellar technology at Beringer. Probably centrifuged, filtered, waterboarded, the works.
 
originally posted by SFJoe:
I think that was a big era for cellar technology at Beringer. Probably centrifuged, filtered, waterboarded, the works.
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That said, when I last had one, around '98 or '99, I really enjoyed it. I'd be curious about it.
 
The 1987 was spectacular a few years ago. I also have greatly enjoyed the 1992 a few times, which is perhaps less complex and more on the deeper chocolate notes than the 1987 (or was).
 
originally posted by SFJoe:
I think that was a big era for cellar technology at Beringer. Probably centrifuged, filtered, waterboarded, the works.
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Any reference or notes to back this up, or is it just a general sense that you have?
 
originally posted by Levi Dalton:
The 1987 was spectacular a few years ago. I also have greatly enjoyed the 1992 a few times, which is perhaps less complex and more on the deeper chocolate notes than the 1987 (or was).
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I also liked the '91 a lot back in the day. Might still have one or two laying around somewhere.
 
The Beringer Bancroft Ranch Howell Mountain Merlot bottles I have sampled from the early 1990s, and I believe there was a 1991 in there, have also been excellent. One of the Merlots from California that I have had the best experience with in regards to aging.

Of course all of this applies to pre-1997. The 1997 Private Reserve Cab was a big disappointment.
 
It has been a while, but I have had the 86 and 87 together a few times. The 86 is always a much prettier, better balanced wine. The 87 is always the Cali style one thinks about. I don't know about the practices of the vineyard at this time, but 86 always speaks to me of the old style. Or, maybe the difference is simply vintage....
 
originally posted by Levi Dalton:
The Beringer Bancroft Ranch Howell Mountain Merlot bottles I have sampled from the early 1990s, and I believe there was a 1991 in there, have also been excellent. One of the Merlots from California that I have had the best experience with in regards to aging.
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Agreed. Their '91s and '92s were excellent. I used to have both. Opened my last one in '99 at a jeeb at my old place. Here's Coad's note on it.

"Beringer Howell Mountain Merlot 1992 ($45)(Kaneturbury Tales): Also medium-dark, with a lot of chocolate and cherry in the nose, some very light pizza herbs as well. Very fleshy mouthfeel, meaty and velvety & with some nice tangy dark tar undertones. Very decent, very accessible and up-front. I commented that the flavor profile was much like the '92 PR cabernet (minus the blueberry), which prompted Andrew to say "Now THAT's winemaking--getting all those different grapes to taste the same--that's true art!" He went on to pronounce Kane's roast chicken delicious, if a bit overoaked for his tastes. (9/20/99)

At this point Brad and Lisa began to squabble about the merlot, with Brad positing that it needed time and was closed and Lisa saying it was as open as Sharon Stone's legs in Basic Instinct, berating him and the horse he rode in on and calling his parentage into question. Or something like that, it's all a blur at this point. I knew this had to be broken up, so in lieu of turning the hose on them I opened a sweetie."
 
originally posted by Brad Kane:
originally posted by Levi Dalton:
The Beringer Bancroft Ranch Howell Mountain Merlot bottles I have sampled from the early 1990s, and I believe there was a 1991 in there, have also been excellent. One of the Merlots from California that I have had the best experience with in regards to aging.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Their '91s and '92s were excellent. I used to have both. Opened my last one in '99 at a jeeb at my old place. Here's Coad's note on it.

"Beringer Howell Mountain Merlot 1992 ($45)(Kaneturbury Tales): Also medium-dark, with a lot of chocolate and cherry in the nose, some very light pizza herbs as well. Very fleshy mouthfeel, meaty and velvety & with some nice tangy dark tar undertones. Very decent, very accessible and up-front. I commented that the flavor profile was much like the '92 PR cabernet (minus the blueberry), which prompted Andrew to say "Now THAT's winemaking--getting all those different grapes to taste the same--that's true art!" He went on to pronounce Kane's roast chicken delicious, if a bit overoaked for his tastes. (9/20/99)

At this point Brad and Lisa began to squabble about the merlot, with Brad positing that it needed time and was closed and Lisa saying it was as open as Sharon Stone's legs in Basic Instinct, berating him and the horse he rode in on and calling his parentage into question. Or something like that, it's all a blur at this point. I knew this had to be broken up, so in lieu of turning the hose on them I I'm opened a sweetie."
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The golden age of tasting notes. Will we ever see their like again? It does sound as if there might have been some slight disagreement with Brad's estimate at the time.
 
originally posted by Levi Dalton:
originally posted by SFJoe:
I think that was a big era for cellar technology at Beringer. Probably centrifuged, filtered, waterboarded, the works.
Click to expand...

Any reference or notes to back this up, or is it just a general sense that you have?
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Dim memories. But it was the general state of things in the valley in the mid-'80s. BV might have been the worst, but Mondavi (and to my recollection, Beringer) were right there with them. I think the fashion moderated pretty quickly--'87s were often much less that way. I think of '85s as the peak. But I unloaded all of mine almost 20 years ago, having found them not living up to the glowing WA praise that persuaded me to part with my very limited funds on release. It was a big step for me in my mistrust of critics, and of "what's in the glass."

Perhaps Mark Ellenbogen or Mike Dashe or Bruce G. can pitch in.
 
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