1995 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve

(14% alcohol; 19% Chabot, 7% St. Helena, 34% Bancroft, 37% Tre Colline and 3% Cabernet Franc; the fall of 2005 was warmer than that of 2004): Good full red. Explosive, musky aromas of redcurrant, plum, brown spices, cocoa powder, chicory, coffee, leather, cedar and earth, plus a whiff of animal fur. At once sweet and savory in the mouth, with harmonious acidity keeping the wine's fruit under wraps today. A note of lavender provides sexy inner-mouth lift. Very substantial yet light on its feet, and remarkably youthful for a 20-year-old California Cabernet. Finishes long, relying as much on its acidity as on its tannins for support.

Production: 18,000 cases; Alcohol: 13.98%; Blend: 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc; Harvest Dates: October 9 to November 16. Made from Bancroft Ranch (34%), Tre Colline (36%), Chabot (19%) and the rest from the St. Helena Home Vineyard, the 1995 is not as complex as the 1994, but it is loaded with fruit. Still an adolescent in its development, it possesses a dense purple color along with a big, sweet bouquet of blackberries and cassis, a youthful mouthfeel, good acidity, full body, abundant fruit and glycerin and a long, heady finish. This vintage was somewhat forgotten because of all the hype surrounding 1994, but it has turned out to be a great one for Bordeaux varietals in Napa. This stunning Private Reserve should continue to drink well for another 15 or more years.