The Beringer Tasting

So I was checking my e-mail when I came across what, at first look, appeared to be more spam to erase.  Somehow, a company named Beringer Estates had managed to evade my powerful spam blockers and land in my mailbox.  I opened the correspondance, and sure enough, the Beringer wine company had sent me an invitation to an exclusive wine tasting at the Prudential Center Skywalk (50th floor) as long as I RSVPed and had five bucks for a local hunger charity.  I sent my reply to the sender with my wife and myself listed as guests.

We arrived at the event in our business casual and, after smalltalk with the entrance table, entered the skywalk.  There was a cheese and cracker tray, a selection of olives and fruits, and two wines poured by a lone waiter.  The place wasn't mobbed.  On the contrary, guests were sparsely scattered throughout the sectioned off area of the skywalk.  Liz opted for the red wine, while I opted for the white, but I tasted both of the wines.  The white was a 2005 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc.  Its nose was a very mild fruit essence.  The body was average, with flavors of apple and melon dancing brightly on the palate and a suprisingly long finish.  The red was a 2004 Napa Valley Merlot.  This wine was very fruity, almost like juice.  The body was bold and upfront, as is characteristic of Merlot, with flavors of juicy cherries and bold tannins.

After schmoosing for a few minutes, all the guests were summoned into a conference room, where white linen-covered round tables were set up with labeled placemats and a barage of wine glasses.  There was also water (of course) and a basket of assorted breads to cleanse the palate.  There was a slide show and presentation by a master somolier and wine expert that tried to "demystify" wine for the guests, and he walked us through California wine country while we tasted the wines.  He did not lead us through the wines, but rather let us make up our own minds about what we liked or disliked about the wines. 

The first wine I had was the 2005 Napa Valley Chardonnay.  It was very dry, with green apple tartness.  I had the sensation of sour fruits and also of a slight saltiness in my mouth.  It was an intriguing wine, well-balanced and cleanly finished.  This was followed and compared to the 2005 Private Reserve Chardonnay.  It started with an herbal nose, moving to oaky notes and dark spices such as allspice, cloves, and coffee.  There were also thoughts of coconut in this full-bodied Chardonnay.  After these whites, we moved to a few reds, starting with the 2005 Napa Valley Pinot Noir.  This Pinot smelled of ripe cherries and tannins, and its smooth body had many complexities, affecting the entire tongue.  There was an upfront flavor of stamp glue that I really couldn't get past, as it overpowered other lesser flavors, and unpleasantly so.  The finish reminisced of candy strawberry, but all told, I did not enjoy this offering.  This was followed by the 2004 Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  I was impressed by the cinnamon nose of this Cab, and equally impressed by its heavy body, boasting cherry and honey flavors in a fruity explosion.  It was dry on the tongue and finish, leaving the impression of raisin in its wake.  This was compared side-by-side to a 2002 Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.  While I enjoyed the bold Knight's Valley, I was thoroughly impressed by this Private Reserve.  A cedar nose gave way to woodsy and oaky flavors.  This wine was dry and reminiscent of currants and black cherries.  On its way to the finish line, I discovered the clear taste of eucalyptis rounding out the sensation.  With the cedar and eucalyptis, I was reminded of several spa treatments I have indulged in, and that connection made this wine very special and soothing for me (and at $125 a bottle, it better be).

Our host wrapped up the presentation, and we exited the conference room with giftbags and smiles.  Upon exiting the room, there were two more wines to taste before we left: a 2005 Third Century Chardonnay and a 2004 Third Century Cabernet.  Both were very standard, on par with the standard Chardonnay and Cabernet, though they seemed bland and boring.  They didn't impress me.  Unfortunately, we ended on these notes, but all-in-all, I left a happy man.  Beringer had always paired in my mind with its boxed or gallon-jugged counterparts, but I was pleasantly suprised and would definately seek it out in a store, especially the Private Reserve Cabernet and Chardonnay.