By Beringer
2015 Private Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Wine Description
With each vintage of the acclaimed Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, the Beringer winemaker chooses the best lots from our reserve vineyards in the Napa Valley, each of which demonstrates a remarkable expression of terroir. Beringer's extraordinary collection of vineyards is the result of a significant and decades-long relationship between viticulture and winemaking.

Tasting Note
Richly garnet and purple-colored, the wine opens with aromas of oak spice and dark black fruits framed with chocolate mocha. Flavors follow the aromas, with dominant mountain blackberries, plum, and cassis accented by black truffles. The fruit is opulent with soft, silky tannins and great structure. A wine built for the ages, with much yet to be revealed.

Blend
97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petite Verdot

Vintage
Yields were down in 2015 as a result of the continuing drought and further reduced by cold weather during flowering. However, a warm summer with almost no rain allowed for optimal ripening, and the resulting harvest, while small, was of outstanding quality. Grapes are small and packed with flavor and color, creating wines with excellent extraction and structure.

Source
A classic blend of mountain and valley fruit yields both structure and richness. The tufa-rich Bancroft Ranch and volcanic Steinhauer Ranch vineyards atop Howell Mountain provide the foundation (62%) for the 2015 blend. A significant portion also comes from the iron-rich Home and Chabot vineyards (28%) in the Saint Helena AVA. Spring Mountain's Marston Ranch and Mt. Veeder's Derr Family vineyards (10%) round out the final blend. Harvest occurred between September 10th and October 20th.

Winemaking
Beringer's 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 tailored pump-over techniques are used for optimal extraction. The wine is aged for 20 months in hand-selected, custom-toasted barrels of French Nevers oak before assemblage, where winemaker Mark Beringer prioritizes the expression of the vintage and our vineyards' unique terroir.

Mark Beringer - Winemaker
Mark Beringer, great-great-grandson of Beringer Vineyards' founding brother Jacob Beringer, was immersed in wine from the moment he was born in the heart of the Napa Valley. As the direct descendant of Beringer's first winemaker and one of the most iconic family names in Napa Valley wine history, he knew from a young age that he would follow in the footsteps of his ancestors. As a young man, he spent many hours working in his family's wine store in Saint Helena, expanding his knowledge of wine and gaining an appreciation for wines outside of the famous region he has always called home.

Wine Details
Alcohol: 15.20%
Closure Type: Cork
pH: 3.81
Pick Date: 09/10/2015
[Information provided by Beringer]

BERINGER CABERNET SAUVIGNON NAPA VALLEY PRIVATE RESERVE 2015
Monday, December 17, 2018
Country: United States
Region: California
Vintage: 2015
Score: 99
The spice and walnut aromas are so enticing. Undertones of blackberries and black truffles. Full-bodied, dense and layered with fantastic tension and seamless tannins. It goes on for minutes. All about classic structure and beauty. Try in 2021.

2015 Beringer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve
Producer: Beringer Vineyards
Location: USA, California, North Coast, Napa Valley
Color: Red
Price: $170
Rating: 97
Tasting Date: 1/31/2019
Maturity: 2019 - 2039
Reviewed By: Jeb Dunnuck
Source: North Coast Part 1: Napa Valley’s Incredible 2016s
I was able to taste to two vintages of the Private Reserve, and the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve comes from a vintage loved by the estate. The final blend is the normal 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot brought up in [...] new French oak. This full-bodied, ripe, voluptuous beauty shows the vintage to a T, offering a blast of sweet blackcurrants, licorice, ground herbs, and graphite aromas and flavors. Blockbuster styled, with full body and an expansive, sexy texture, it has the depth and density to continue drinking brilliantly for 20+ years.

2015 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve
Producer: Beringer
From: USA, California, North Coast, Napa Valley
Color: Red
Type: Table
Sweetness: Dry
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Rating: 95+
Release Price: $170
Drink Date: 2018 - 2030
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Issue Date: 31st Oct 2017
Source: 233, The Wine Advocate
Containing the tiniest splashes of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve has a deep garnet-purple color and nose of plum preserves, baked blackberries and cassis with hints of menthol, sandalwood and chocolate box. Full-bodied with soft, seductive tannins and a lively backbone supporting the generous, ripe, opulent fruit, it has a decadent spiciness and great length.

Beringer Vineyards 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve
Points: 93+
Napa Valley, Napa Valley
Red wine from United States
Drinking window: 2025 - 2040
Beringer's flagship 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve is tannic, unyielding and not fully put together. I suppose that is not entirely surprising, as most of the fruit was sourced from sites on Howell Mountain. Time in the glass brings out an attractive floral upper register, along with brighter notes in the fruit. Even so, the tannins remain forbidding. There is plenty to look forward to, but readers will have to be patient. The 2015 has been very tight on both occasions I have tasted it so far.
Antonio Galloni. Tasting date: November 2017

BERINGER Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Private Reserve 2015
Score: 92
Region: California / Napa / Napa Valley
Color: Red
Issue: Nov 15, 2018
Beautifully proportioned for the long haul, this is deep, complex, firm, focused and structured, showing tiers of savory herb, dark berry, cedar and sage flavors, ending with ripe, chewy tannins. Best from 2020 through 2032. — JL

Beringer, Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, 2015
Tasted by Linda Murphy (at California tastings, 15 Jul 2018)
Tasting Score: 91
Drinking Window: 2019 - 2025
Producer: Beringer
Vintage: 2015
Type: Still
Colour: Red
Country: USA
Region: California
Aging: Napa Valley
Sweetness: Dry
Closure: Cork
Alcohol: 15.20%
Body: Full
Time in oak: 20 months
Oak: Oaked
Grapes: 2% Cabernet Franc, 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Petit Verdot
Relatively recent changes in winemakers has Beringer's flagship wine in transition, it seems. The 2015 is riper and noticeably sweeter than previous vintages of Private Reserve, and there's a heavy reliance on chocolatey oak. It's a style that's quite popular in the States, and this is well-crafted with that intent in mind.