The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve is from only two sources (somewhat unusual), the Steinhauer Vineyard on Howell Mountain (71%) and the St. Helena Home Vineyard (29%). It achieved 14.7% natural alcohol and a relatively high pH of 3.9, which suggests plenty of ripeness, no doubt from the Howell Mountain component. Aged 18 months in new French oak and 12 months in the bottle before being released, this beautiful Cabernet demonstrates the commitment to quality that exists at Beringer despite its colossal size. The 2011 exhibits a deep ruby/purple color along with a sweet bouquet of chocolate, red and black currants, graphite and spring flowers. Ripe and medium-bodied with gorgeous fruit, and no astringency or herbaceousness, this is a lovely, soft, round, juicy wine to drink over the next decade.
Despite the enormity of this enterprise (multiple wineries and a global network), the flagship estate in northern California, Beringer Vineyards, continues to be in very capable winemaking hands, and the quality of the wines remains exceptionally impressive, particularly when you look at some of the huge production numbers of their lower priced offerings. The red wines currently in the market are from the challenging 2011 vintage. As for the Private Reserve Cabernets, production can vary significantly depending on the vintage, from around 8,000 cases to nearly twice that in an abundant year. As for the single vineyard wines, I will keep my notes short as these are only available to members of the Beringer Wine Club. I was surprised by how strongly all these 2011s performed, but three of the single vineyards are on Howell Mountain. These are all excellent wines, but it seems to me that the Private Reserve, a blend of the best lots from these sources, always turns out to be Beringer’s finest Cabernet Sauvignon.
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