98
Points
Technical info
Alcohol
15.5%
Varietal
96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, 1% Merlot
Appellation
62% Howell Mountain, 24% St. Helena, 6% Oakville, 5% Spring Mountain, 2% Diamond Mountain, 1% Mount Veeder
Winemaking
The Beringer reserve vineyards offer Cabernet Sauvignon of such quality that a minimalist approach to winemaking has long defined this special blend. Each vineyard is vinified separately and monitored carefully from the moment the fruit comes into the winery at Harvest. Tailored pump-over techniques are used for optimal extraction, and the wine is aged in hand-selected, custom-toasted barrels of new French oak (80% new). Each lot was aged for 20 months before selection of the final blend, to allow each vineyard to express the depth of its unique terroir.
Vintage
The year began with abundant rainfall, followed by a mild Spring. A Labor Day weekend heatwave kicked harvest into high gear followed by a cool weather break which allowed sugar levels to return to optimum normal level. By October nearly 90 percent of our grapes were harvested when fierce winds fueled the 2017 firestorm. Napa Valley's winemakers remain committed to making some the world's finest wines and early articles about the 2017 vintage describe the wines with words such as "finesse," "great complexity of flavor," and "elegant.
Vineyards
Steinhauer Ranch (24%), Bancroft Ranch (21%), Pauli (12%) and Marc Mondavi Ranch (5%) vineyards atop Howell Mountain provide the foundation for the 2017 blend. Fruit from the St. Helena Home Vineyard (15%) and Chabot Vineyard (9%) add the warmth of the St. Helena
appellation. Exceptional fruit from Oakville’s Borrow Pit Vineyard (6%) join contributions from Spring Mountain’s Marston Vineyard (5%), Diamond Mountain’s Armstrong Ranch (2%) and Mount Veeder’s Derr Family Vineyard (1%). Grapes for the 2017 Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon were harvested between September 15th and October 24th.
