Tonight was a night for splits! Decided to pull the corks on both of these to see whats going on. 2002 Beringer PR Cabernet was served with dinner which included NY strip steaks, steamed broccoli and rice. 2003 Quinta VP paired up nicely with some gourmet dark chocolate truffles from whole foods. Both were from 375ml bottles and showed extremely well which made for an enjoyable Saturday evening.
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2002 Beringer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve - USA, California, Napa Valley (3/21/2009)
Right out of the bottle the nose becomes instantly seductive. Loads of shaved cocoa, black chocolate, mocha and sweet cream fill the senses. Nose becomes more layered with air intertwining red raspberries, boysenberries, creamy vanilla oak and spice. Palate is a tad tighter than the nose but very plush and silky. Huge creamy raspberries, toasty oak and Asian spice control the flavor profile. Nice full body that coats the palate and is very lush all the way through. Hints of ginger, nutmeg and tobacco are also present to give this wine another layer of complexity. Such a nice wine with impeccable balance, not flabby in any way and structure that integrates beautifully with the fruit. This is a classic cabernet that is not over extracted in any way and showing no signs of heat. Drinks great now and will probably continue to for the next 10+ (94 pts.)
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2003 Quinta do Noval Porto Vintage - Portugal, Douro, Porto (3/21/2009)
Popped this bottle and let breath for roughly 5 hours. Color is extremely dark, almost black with a deep purple hue. Out of the jumps sweet raspberry liquor, smoke, tobacco and lead pencil shavings. Nose is extremely perfume like with boysenberry jam, sweet raspberry syrup and sugary baking spices. Really exotic on the nose which is nice and enticing. On the mouthfeel is a wine that posses perfect balance with medium weight. At 19.5%, there is minimal heat if any at all. Great gobs of sappy red and black fruits, plum reduction sauce, creamy raspberries and dark currant flavors dominate the profile. Nice dose of cinnamon, nutmeg, spice cake and graham are all present. Touch of dark chocolate and more spice on the finish which is nice and long. This is a huge young port with everything in check and showing beautifully in its youth. (95 pts.)