One of the great stops in Napa with a serious history, Beringer Vineyards dates all the way back to the 1860s. They had enjoyed a storied history at the winery with famed winemaker after another. I was very fond of the wines made by their former winemaker, Laurie Hooke, who crafted some of the best Chardonnay in Napa Valley. Their new winemaker, Mark Beringer, is the great-great-grandson of Beringer Vineyards’ founding brother Jacob Beringer. Mark is highly talented and has shown his great skill set with his last few sets of releases. Mark graduated from California State University in Fresno with an Enology degree in 1990. He then spent a year in the cellars at Benziger in Sonoma and then joined Duckhorn in 1992. Mark began as Enologist and worked his way up to Vice President of Winemaking at Duckhorn. In 2009 Mark joined Artesa as Vice President and Winemaker. In 2015, Mark Beringer came 'home' to Beringer Vineyards, joining as Chief Winemaker. It is quite amazing that they can produce so much high quality wine and keep their pricing extremely reasonable. That makes this lineup of wines some of the best values available out of Napa.
Look to the gorgeous new 2016 Beringer ‘Private Reserve’ Chardonnay (WWB, 94) which is up there with any top American Chardonnay for the price. I was absolutely blown away with the 2015 Beringer ‘Private Reserve’ Cabernet Sauvignon (WWB, 95) which exudes class with its beautiful typicality and mouthfeel as well as dense dark fruit flavors. Learn more about these awesome wines at beringer.com Here are the awesome new premium wines by Beringer Vineyards.
2016 Beringer ‘Napa Valley’ Chardonnay- The 2016 ‘Napa Valley’ Chardonnay opens with brioche, roasted hazelnut and vanilla cream aromas that build in the glass. The palate shows good viscosity with a ripe texture. Marzipan, Meyer lemon cream and toasty oak all combine and lead the a long, cream and mineral-driven finish. Drink 2019-2025- 89
2016 Beringer ‘Luminous’ Chardonnay- The 2016 Beringer ‘Luminous’ Chardonnay is an outstanding effort from this warm vintage in the Napa Valley. Sourced from the Oak Knoll District, on the nose this starts off with an intense bouquet of creme brulee, white peach and bright starfruit that all nicely combine. The texture here is gorgeous as the seamless wine glides across the mid-palate. Vanilla cream, kumquat and creme brûlée flavors all impress on the palate. Seamless and downright delicious, this gorgeous effort will cellar well for a decade or more. Drink 2019-2029- 92
2016 Beringer ‘Private Reserve’ Chardonnay- The 2016 ‘Private Reserve’ Chardonnay by Beringer is a stunning wine by superstar winemaker Mark Beringer. Sourced from the Gamble Ranch Vineyard in the Oakville AVA, this wine starts off with beautiful aromas of apricot creme brulee, vanilla cream and kumquat with macadamia nut. The palate is plush and shows a seductive mouthfeel as the wine unveils vanilla cream, buttered popcorn, white peach, butterscotch and roasted pineapple flavors. Seductive and rich, yet beautifully balanced and layered, this is a complete wine by Beringer that will cellar marvelously for the next fifteen years. Drink 2019-2033- 94
2016 Beringer ‘Knight’ Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon- This ‘Knights Valley’ starts off with copious dark fruits with chocolate and roasted figs on the nose. The palate is plush, showing off a silky mouthfeel. Black cherry liquor, mocha and creme de cassis flavors all collide on the palate. With a good sense of place and a lithe minerlality, this wine will cellar well for the next decade. Drink 2019-2029- 90
2016 Beringer ‘Knights Valley Reserve’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The ‘Knights Valley Reserve’ is a barrel selection wine from the best Knights Valley lots. This rendition is an awesome new wine by the talented Mark Beringer. Asian spices and dark chocolate shavings with black fruits fill the nose and provide an exotic edge. The palate is both rich and elegant, as the wine shows some seriously good decadence and poise. Black tea, creme de cassis, mocha and anise flavors all impress. Downright delicious now, this gorgeous wine will continue to evolve over the next fifteen plus years. Drink 2019-2033- 93
2016 Beringer ‘Napa Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2016 ‘Napa Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon is an awesome new value Cabernet by Beringer. The nose shows really good Napa character with dusty terroir with creme de cassis and anise aromas that all come together well once in the glass. The palate shows a soft texture with dark fruits and chocolate alongside lighter herbal tones that all blend beautifully. This excellent effort needs a juicy burger. Drink 2019-2025- 89
2015 Beringer ‘Quantum’ Red Wine- Sourced from Howell Mountain, this wine is primarily Cabernet Sauvignon (69%) with lesser portions Malbec, Merlot and Petite Sirah. The wine opens with intense aromatics reminiscent of tar, anise, creme de cassis and black cherry compote. The palate is plush and decadent with coffee ground, dark chocolate shavings, roasted figs and hints of crushed mint. Round and generous, this excellent effort will cellar well over the next fifteen years. Drink 2019-2033- 92
2015 Beringer ‘Private Reserve’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2015 ‘Private Reserve’ Cabernet Sauvignon by Beringer excites with its serious richness and range. This sensational wine shows off a remarkable bouquet with blueberry compote, ripe huckleberry, Arabica coffee bean and blackberry compote. The palate shows serious viscosity and richness showing beautiful mocha, anise and creme de cassis that build as the wine breathes. Intense and showing an exceedingly long life this beautiful wine needs quite a bit of air to show the most prominently. If enjoying in its youth, be sure to give this at least a two hour decant. Drink 2022-2045- 95