5 | Wine | Cabernet Sauvignon, 86 or higher, 2003

"The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, all from their old vineyards in Calistoga. This is a dense, ruby/purple-tinged wine with full body, and despite the softness of the general vintage, Montelena has plenty of structure. Like nearly every vintage of their top Cabernet Sauvignon, it will last for 25 or more years. The wine has sweet tannin in a broad, flavorful, concentrated style with plenty of black currant, licorice, and spice. The wine is beautifully textured, slightly more forward than most Montelena Cabernets tend to be. It is another beauty from probably the most consistent winery for Cabernet Sauvignon over the last three decades."

"The 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Madrona Ranch is just an amazing wine in the vintage. Notes of smoked meats intermixed with licorice, camphor, graphite, blackberry, and flowers, with a hint of cedar and spice box, have produced a wine that is more up-front and forward than most Abreu wines have been, and gorgeously rich and full-bodied." Reviewed by Robert Parker.

"A colossal success and a potential legend in the making. Its saturated, dense inky/blue/purple color offers up notes of crushed rocks, acacia flowers, blueberries, black raspberries, and creme de cassis. A synthesis of power and elegance, this multi-layered wine has spectacular concentration, sweet but high tannin, and low acidity A stunning effort that showcases this legendary terroir, it is a brilliant, brilliant success."

"A wine of extraordinary complexity and intensity, it reveals a deep purple color, a style not unlike the 1990 Margaux (possibly even more concentrated), a velvety texture, and notes of spring flowers interwoven with camphor, melted licorice, creme de cassis, and pain grille. Not a blockbuster, it offers extraordinary intensity as well as a surreal delicacy/lightness. There is riveting freshness to this offering, which tips the scales at a lofty (for this estate) 13.5% alcohol, as well as an alluring sweetness and accessibility."

"The blend of course is Beringer’s beautiful 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve, always proving that the sum is better than the component parts. A dark ruby/purple color is accompanied by a big, sweet nose of smoked meats, black currant jam, chocolate, pain grille, and espresso roast. Rich, full-bodied, and deep, with silky tannin and loads of length and concentration, it should drink well for 15-20 years." Reviewed by Robert Parker December 2006.