One of the great historic houses in the Napa Valley, I first had the pleasure of visiting Beringer as I was finishing college in 2002. 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. These are some of the great value wines out of Napa.
Look to the crazy good 2017 Beringer ‘Private Reserve’ Chardonnay (OB, 95) which is nothing short of a sensational value and checks all the boxes in terms of texture, richness and length. I absolutely loved the new which is up there with any top American Chardonnay for the price. I was absolutely blown away with the 2017 Beringer ‘Private Reserve’ Cabernet Sauvignon (OB, 96) which is dense but marvelously structured, having some insanely good aging potential. Learn more about these awesome wines at beringer.com Here are the awesome new wines by Beringer Vineyards.
2018 Beringer Vineyards ‘Napa Valley’ Chardonnay- Showing off its golden hue, the 2018 Beringer Vineyards ‘Napa Valley’ Chardonnay delivers good richness and a soft texture. Layers of Meyer lemon cream and honeydew melon combine with the nutty and earthy undertones. The long finish lingers. Drink 2020-2025- 90
2017 Beringer Vineyards ‘Luminous’ Chardonnay- Sourced from the ‘Oak Knoll District’ this shows lemon zest and melon tones on the nose with shades of marzipan. The texture is outstanding as the wine has a seamless feel mid-palate. With great length, acidity and weight, this beautiful wine will cellar well for another decade. Drink 2020-2028- 92
2017 Beringer Vineyards ‘Private Reserve’ Chardonnay- The 2017 Beringer ‘Private Reserve’ Chardonnay is an utterly fabulous effort by the talented Mark Beringer. Sourced from the Gamble Ranch Vineyard closely located to the town of Yountville, in the Oakville AVA. This was aged for ten months in 100% new French oak prior to bottling, as the Chardonnay shows ripe pineapple with vanilla cream and mango and nutty tones that all meld in the glass. The palate is fresh, vibrant and seamlessly glides through the drinking experience. Layers of vanilla creme brulee, roasted pineapple, bananas foster and baking spices all brilliantly combine with the wonderful veil of tension. This is highly elegant, yet has great weight and acidity. Stunning to enjoy in its youth, the 2017 Beringer ‘Private Reserve’ Chardonnay will have an exceedingly long life ahead of it, picking up lovely nutty and earthy tones as it ages gracefully. Drink 2020-2033- 95
2017 Beringer Vineyards ‘Napa Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2017 Beringer Vineyards ‘Napa Valley’ Cabernet sauvignon shows aromatics of creme de cassis and blackberry tones with shades of sandalwood that take shape in the glass. The palate is medium to full bodied with gobs of black fruits that mingle with chocolate and sagebrush tones. This is seriously delicious, forward and well-structured wine that will cellar for the next eight to ten years. Drink 2020-2028- 90
2017 Beringer Vineyards ‘Knight’s Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Beringer has been sourcing from this Sonoma Valley site since the mid-1960’s, and the Knights Valley designation was first used on a Beringer label in 1974. The wine shows wonderful volcanic earth aromatic tones that combine with chocolate, coffee grounds and shades of cassis. The palate shows good freshness and density with wonderful mid-palate weight. Layers of dark fruits combine with a vein of light tannins, mocha and tar. This is seriously good wine for the price. Drink 2020-2033- 91
2017 Beringer Vineyards ‘Knight’s Valley Reserve’ Cabernet Sauvignon- This barrel selection wine was aged for sixteen months in nearly all natural French oak before bottling. Espresso bean and blueberry compote tones combine with damp soil and black currants on this gorgeous bouquet. The palate combines great weight and structure as silky tannins line the deep core of dark fruits with dried sage and chocolate covered espresso bean tones. The excellent sense of length illuminates the crescendo. Great to enjoy right now, be sure to give this more than a one hour decant if enjoying in its youth. Drink 2020-2035- 93
2017 Beringer Vineyards ‘Quantum’ Red Wine- The 2017 Beringer Vineyards ‘Quantum’ Red Wine is a thrilling new bottling from this storied Napa estate. A blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon with smaller portions Petit Verdot, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec, the ‘Quantum’ shows gorgeous Turkish coffee aromas that mingle with exotic spices and creme de cassis. The palate is medium to full-bodied with layers of gorgeous dark fruits with dark chocolate shavings and herbal undertones. Beautiful to enjoy in its youth, the 2017 ‘Quantum’ will cellar well for the next ten to fifteen years. Drink 2020-2035- 92
2017 Beringer Vineyards ‘Private Reserve’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Beringer began this legendary program back in 1977. Aged for twenty months in 80% new French oak (Nevers), the 2017 ‘Private Reserve’ Cabernet Sauvignon shows anise and creme de cassis aromatics that combine with chocolate covered espresso bean, graphite and blueberry compote, showing an exotic edge. The palate is impeccably balanced, showing both depth, concentration, verve and power. Layers of creosote, blueberry compote, mocha and creme de cassis, with silky tannins all sing in unison. Gorgeous in its youth, this beautiful wine really needs a few more years of bottle age before enjoyment. Drink 2022-2045- 96