Beringer 2016 "Private Reserve" Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

98 Points - limited                                                                               Limited Reserve Cabernet from Beringer.  One of the top-rated Cabs of the stellar 2017 vintage. 98 Points James Suckling: "Breathtaking. Exceptional integration of super ripe blackberries and the very finest oak. The tannins build up beautifully, forming wave upon wave as the wine flows across the palate. Then the wave breaks on your palate and shoots way out at the finish, so that you wonder where it will end and normal life begin again. Needs time to soften, but this is so, so good." 96 Points Jeb Dunnuck: "The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve is brilliant, with a ripe, powerful style that’s going to age gracefully. Deep blackcurrants, dark chocolate, scorched earth, and graphite notes all emerge from this concentrated, powerful Cabernet that has ripe tannins, a big, rich mid-palate, and a great finish. It’s going to benefit from 3-5 years of bottle age and keep for upwards of two decades with no issues." ...As I have written in the past, the Beringer Private Reserve program incorporates many of the single vineyards that they own and also bottle separately in lots from 250 up to nearly 1,000 cases. These wines are generally only available at the winery or through their membership club. Various parts of these single vineyards are all put through taste trials, and the result, when there’s a unanimity of opinion, is the great Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from Beringer, one of the most successful Cabernets of Napa Valley