Saturday night – Blackout dinner – Part 2

The main course was four huge steaks, Zippy sauce and corn on the cob and it was paired with a 1996 Beringer’s "Napa Valley Private Reserve" Cabernet Sauvignon.

The nose on the wine was big with green pepper, cloves, cedar, loam and black pepper. Tasting the wine before the food, you found more of an earthy and cocoa flavour to the wine with not much fruit left and the wine was incredibility smooth and easy drinking. For the structure of the wine, the tannins were super soft and silky and there was good acidity. The fruit flavors of Blackberry and Blueberry really came to the forefront with the medium rare steaks and I found myself enjoying the wine much more with the food. The tannin disappeared completely with the steaks and caused the wine to get lost against the food at times. The wine was really good but with the super soft tannin and mild fruit, I do think this wine was a couple of years past its prime and can’t help but wonder how amazing this bottle would have been then.

Here is the group rating for the wine – Mick - 91, Mark - 88, Kathy – 90, Amy – 90, Overall – 89.75

Here is the LCBO information on the wine -

BERINGER PRIVATE RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2005


VINTAGES 149955
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 99.95
Wine, Red Wine
14.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : D
Made in: California, USA
By: Treasury Wine Estates
Release Date: Jun 11, 2011


Description - This vintage is being offered at a special one-time reduced price. Robert Parker awarded it 92 points and Stephen Tanzer rated it 94.


Tasting Note - Offers richness, concentration and depth while remaining elegant and supple, focusing on the ripe, spicy currant, mineral, herb and sage notes. Ends with a measure of finesse and polish, with the right mix of tannins. Drink now through 2016. Score - 93. (James Laube, Wine Spectator, Oct. 15, 2008)

* Note – This wine is the 2005 and not the 1996 reviewed here, the 1996 was picked up this year by Mick and Amy for about $139.

Mick’s steaks were killer and probably the best ones I have had in a very long time.

Click here for Part 3