'81 Napa Chard? That has to be dead, right? WRONG. Not only was this still alive, it was singing. So rich, so full, unmistakably Chard. Oddly enough, the closest thing I can compare this to is the '04 LdH Gravonia (a ripe vintage for Gravonia, the '81 Beringer is 13.9% abv). The nose is mostly stone fruit with a touch of lemon zest, honey, butter, and petrol. The palate is honey, beeswax, faded lemon rind, and a kiss of minerals. There’s shockingly good acidity here and the finish just goes on and on. I believe this bottle is a testament to great winemaking and impeccably cool storage. 93+pts.
Wow. Good cork, dark color … what a treat!
Was Sbragia making wine there then?
I believe both Sbragia and Nightingale were making wine at Beringer in 1981. Ed joined in 1976 and Myron retired in 1985.
Bottles like this are fun to try and I’m glad this turned into a pleasant surprise. I just found a few bottles of 97’ Mount Eden Estate Chard for really cheap so I had nothing to lose. The first bottle was DOA but the 2nd bottle was surprisingly good