Beringer Vineyards
State Lane Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley, California, USA
Hard to see in photo but a 1979 9L that Danielle Colombo shared with us and that was lovingly stored all these years by Bob Colombo. And it was amazing! Incredible acidity and balance with still a lot of fresh aromas.
Hard to see in photo but a 1979 9L that Danielle Colombo shared with us and that was lovingly stored all these years by Bob Colombo. And it was amazing! Incredible acidity and balance with still a lot of fresh aromas.
Jul 31st, 2015Graceful old lady with a few years of life left. 12.7% abv (!!), loads of fruit leather, tobacco, yet a faint edge of sweet plum and cassis. Really delicious.
Graceful old lady with a few years of life left. 12.7% abv (!!), loads of fruit leather, tobacco, yet a faint edge of sweet plum and cassis. Really delicious.
Jun 2nd, 2015
A little past but still kicking
A little past but still kicking
Nov 21st, 2014
Bought a little under 3 years ago, this one was opened at a good time today for a great crowd. Initially opened and filtered into a decanter. The wine poured without significant bricking. The nose was green pepper, grassy, and earthy. It honestly had quite the same nose as a 1980's Pichon Lalande that was consumed a few months ago. This wine had a bit of funk for about an hour. But then after that, NOT BAD. Neither it nor the 99 Spottswoode were the best wines on the table, but this shows you the way it was done in old Napa. Picked at just under 23 Brix (per the label), this wine still had great structure. Even 2 hours later, the structure was still there although the wine had blossomed into more of a floral rich finish with a darker, ashy middle and herbaceous front with dried red fruits. According to CellarTracker there are 25 bottles in cellars. IMO it's time to start consuming these wines, although admittedly I feel this wine will probably stay right where it is, if cellared correctly, for another 5 years or so.
Bought a little under 3 years ago, this one was opened at a good time today for a great crowd. Initially opened and filtered into a decanter. The wine poured without significant bricking. The nose was green pepper, grassy, and earthy. It honestly had quite the same nose as a 1980's Pichon Lalande that was consumed a few months ago. This wine had a bit of funk for about an hour. But then after that, NOT BAD. Neither it nor the 99 Spottswoode were the best wines on the table, but this shows you the way it was done in old Napa. Picked at just under 23 Brix (per the label), this wine still had great structure. Even 2 hours later, the structure was still there although the wine had blossomed into more of a floral rich finish with a darker, ashy middle and herbaceous front with dried red fruits. According to CellarTracker there are 25 bottles in cellars. IMO it's time to start consuming these wines, although admittedly I feel this wine will probably stay right where it is, if cellared correctly, for another 5 years or so.
Jul 29th, 2017
Fun day of tasting with a master som and some others from the wine and restaurant industry. So went deep into my cellar. This was the star. Beat out a haut brion and some other beasts. This was very much alive with plenty of cherries and red fruit. Yet it was delicate with beautifully aged tannins and a kiss of sugar plum at the end. Not dried out or herbal at all. Some notes of saddle leather but they were secondary to the fruit.
Fun day of tasting with a master som and some others from the wine and restaurant industry. So went deep into my cellar. This was the star. Beat out a haut brion and some other beasts. This was very much alive with plenty of cherries and red fruit. Yet it was delicate with beautifully aged tannins and a kiss of sugar plum at the end. Not dried out or herbal at all. Some notes of saddle leather but they were secondary to the fruit.
Jul 9th, 2017Brett's birth year (1976) wine. Solid tasty old wine just like Brett.
Brett's birth year (1976) wine. Solid tasty old wine just like Brett.
Sep 3rd, 2016
Great celebratory wine for a birthday that ended in zero (not mine! I am forever 29). Ideally, we should have opened the 1998 to have a round number, but this was a better vintage. Very spicy, delicious core of cassis and what the French call "bottom of the forest". May we be so fortunate to drink stuff like this at every birthday
Great celebratory wine for a birthday that ended in zero (not mine! I am forever 29). Ideally, we should have opened the 1998 to have a round number, but this was a better vintage. Very spicy, delicious core of cassis and what the French call "bottom of the forest". May we be so fortunate to drink stuff like this at every birthday
Mar 28th, 2018