Beringer’s 2018 Private Reserve Cabernet is a blend of fruit from seven estates, mostly mountainside fruit with some valley floor as well, giving winemaker Ryan Rech a wide palette to work with. Howell Mountain is the base here, with Glass Mountain, Spring Mountain and Mount Veeder in the mix as well. The result is a dark-side expression of Cabernet that shows fine tuned tannins, well folded oak and soft spice notes that linger with the classic Napa fruit profile. For a young wine, this is beautifully integrated already, and has just a tinge of rusticity that shows its mountain heritage. While it’s on the pricey side, it is well below other wines that ascend to this quality level. Contains 3% Cabernet Franc.
Beringer, Napa Valley (California) Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
By Rich Cook