A Beringer tasting

I was able to taste some high end Beringer wines and this reaffirmed what I already knew. Namely, (i) price is not related to what you like and (ii) what you like is not necessarily related to what others, esp critics or wine makers, like. Based on memory here is what I tasted with rough notes

1. 2007 Chardonnay Reserve ($35 ish): this is my style - big, oaky, ripe and .... the initial nose and first sip lived up to its reputation, on subsequent tastings it lost much of it's flavor.... Perhaps this is a great "scoring" wine but not an enduring wine over the course of a bottle. My score: 92 initially and 87 subsequently.
   
2. 2003 and 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve ($120 ish): This is one of their top end wines and they tasted smooth and silky and arguably "elegant" and ... not much else. It was hard to get anything on the nose or palate. Perhaps this is what "high-end" Napa wines taste like but I'll pass. My score: 87-88.
   
3. 2005 Merlot Bancroft Ranch ($75): the wine of the tasting by far for me. The first half glass was very nice with rich chocolate and fruit (90), but I got a glass of this "to go" and every small sip was velvety chocolate and dark fruit in a big rich, non tannic non acidic body. Perhaps it was savoring this last small glass but it was impressive. Final pour score: 92-93.
4. 2005 Cabernet Quarry and another single vineyard Cab ($90 ish). Better in that one had some tannic and acidic backbone, but still not something I would seek out. My score: 88-90.

The bottom line was I liked one of the least touted and least expensive high-end wines by a country mile. Trust your own preferences.