Technical info
Alcohol
14.8%
Varietal
Cabernet Sauvignon
Blend
100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Appellation
Napa Valley
Oak treatment
Aged 20 months in new French oak (65% new)
Winemaking
The Beringer reserve vineyards offer Cabernet Sauvignon of such high 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 (65% 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 2020 vintage was a combination of a warm, dry winter, late March rains, and atypical circumstances beyond the typical season. The mild spring weather provided a great early start which was later tempered by the warmth of the summer growing season and the frequent heat spikes. 2020 with its low rainfall, low yields, and dynamic weather had set the stage for fruit with pronounced micro-climatic and aromatic complexity. The limited supply due to smaller yields of the resulting wines shows all the phenolic ripeness, acidic tension, and exceptional nuance of this challenging vintage.

Vineyards
A departure from previous vintages, without its typical Howell Mountain fruit, the 2020 Private Reserve is brighter and more red berry fruit driven than previous vintages, composed of Oakville’s Borrow Pit Vineyard (49%) and almost equal parts from Mt. Veeder’s Lampyridae Vineyard (47%) helping to craft the overall blend. Fruit from the St. Helena Chabot Vineyard (4%) rounds out the blend, adding the warmth of the St. Helena appellation. As with previous vintages of Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, each vineyard lot is closely watched during the ripening period to determine the ideal pick time. Grapes for the 2020 Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon were harvested between September 21st – 24th.