Happy Hour Wine Tasting Featuring Stags' Leap Winery, Beaulieu Vineyards and Beringer

“No thing more excellent nor more valuable than wine was ever granted mankind by God.” – Plato c. 429-347 B.C. Greek Philosopher

I can’t agree more, and we are doing our best to keep up with the most valuable wines and the best values in the world of wine here at Wine Watch!

After the success of the last few week’s “Happy Hour” tastings, we have decided to carry on this casual event over the summer and this tasting is a belly up to the bar, hang out with your friends and the food is casual, this is not a sit-down dinner- a true “Happy Hour” style event… but with GREAT wines.  Tonight, we have three wineries to showcase some great Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon with three classics; Beringer Winery, Beaulieu Vineyards and Stags’ Leap Winery.

I have also included all the wines from these three Napa Valley legends that we have in the store on SALE on this offering.  This is the last tasting before I leave for summer vacation so you know it will be an extra special night at Wine Watch.

This tasting starts at 6pm and chef Toni will be making some appetizers to accompany the tasting wines.  The fee for this tasting is $55 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com. 

Happy Hour Wine Tasting Featuring Stags' Leap Winery,
Beaulieu Vineyards and Beringer Winery
Thursday, July 1, 2021
6:00 PM

Beaulieu Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford 2017
Price: $45.00   Sale $39.20

Tasting Notes:  Deep and intense, our 2015 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon reveals the superb concentration of the vintage. Opulent layers of blackberry, black cherry and juicy plum character unfold with complex nuances of violet and mocha. Ample, mature tannins provide firm structure and rich texture for the mouthfilling flavors. Nicely integrated hints of allspice, cinnamon, and caramel from toasted oak barrels lace the aromas and lingering finish. This big, generous Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is approachable and delicious now, yet promises cellar worthiness.

Vineyard Note:  We sourced the majority of the Cabernet from Napa Valley’s Rutherford, Calistoga and St. Helena appellations. The diverse soils and microclimates, as well as the various clones of Cabernet Sauvignon and cultivation techniques, contributed to this wine’s complex flavor profile. The balance of the blend was grown both in our estate vineyards and other quality vineyards of Napa Valley.    

Beaulieu Vineyards is one of the original four wineries of the Napa Valley and their Georges De Latour Cabernet Sauvignon reserve was once the most iconic wine coming from the Napa Valley.  Some feel that under the late great Andre Tcheltistcheff’s tenure at Beaulieu Vineyards some of the best wines of Napa Valleys’ history were produced in the 1960’s and 1970’s.  There have only bee five winemakers in the wineries history and our host for two weeks from tonight is the current winemaker at Beaulieu Vineyards Trevor Durling. 

2016 Beaulieu Vineyards Tapestry Reserve Napa
Price: $56.25   Your Price: $49.50

The 2016 Tapestry is a powerful expression of the dream vintage, showing the true artistry of blending five Bordeaux-heritage grape varieties grown within the Napa Valley, which together contribute multi-layered flavors and complexity. The Cabernet Sauvignon imparts a generous core of brambly blackberry, cassis, and macerated blueberry, while the Merlot brings a vibrant, riper dark cherry fruit character. The Merlot also softens the tannins and adds plush rich texture on the mouth pleasing palate. Malbec contributed dark plum and briary blackberry notes, while the Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot completed the blend with delicate floral nuances of violet and wild sage. Well integrated warm baking spice notes of cinnamon and clove also pique the senses incorporated from having been aged in new French oak barrels &-; which heighten the overall aromatic expression and linger on the finish. The tannins provide intensity, structure and depth, ensuring this vintage will outlast many others with significant age-worthiness. This is a wine that is the perfect bridge between old and new world &-; showing the restraint, elegance and sophistication of Napa Valley.

2016 Beaulieu Vineyard Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $147.00 Your Price: $129.36

The 2016 Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is bursting with a bouquet of cassis, blueberry, blackberry, violet and wild sage, exhibiting the extraordinary concentration, depth and elegance of this superior vintage. Full-bodied and rich on the palate with lingering flavors of dark blackberry, root spice, chocolate and molasses supported by perfectly balanced acidity which adds length, juiciness and freshness to an everlasting finish. Plush “Rutherford Dust” tannins support the ever-expansive palate, while seamlessly integrating with the full-bodied texture, crafting a wine that shows grace, ease and approachability now, but with underlying power and structure that will keep this wine alive for decades to come. Well integrated notes of vanilla and toasted oak spices - from aging in new French oak barrels - heighten the aromas and dance on the lengthy finish. To enjoy this wine at its full potential, we recommend at least five years of bottle aging; however, if you can’t wait, decant before serving.

Vineyard Note: We hand selected grapes from the finest Cabernet Sauvignon vines from the western bench of the Rutherford AVA in our iconic BV Ranches No. 1 and No. 2, originally planted by Georges de Latour in the early 1900s. We focused on clonal selections (6, 4, 169, 5197, 7 and 8), which yield small berries with the high skin-to-juice ratio needed to make intense, long-lived wines. The fruit was handpicked and optically sorted once it arrived to the winery in order to ensure the highest quality selection. These chosen vines are deeply rooted in the well-draining alluvial fan soils of Rutherford, considered one of the finest regions of Napa Valley for Cabernet Sauvignon.

Vintage Note:  The extended drought was beginning to cause real concern as the 2016 growing season kicked off, but some welcomed winter rain hinted at the relief to come. After a relatively dry January we enjoyed significant rainfall in February, along with mild temperatures. Bud break was early, but was slowed by heavy April showers. While still early by historical standards, picking began about a week later than 2015, right around Labor Day, and continued at a leisurely pace, allowing the grapes to reach full flavor maturity. A traditionally sized harvest followed the lighter showing of 2015, and the extended mild season helped to balance the acids and add complexity to the layers of flavors. Considered a perfect harvest and a winemaker’s dream vintage, conditions were perfect for producing a Cabernet with beautiful fruit as well as tremendous concentration of flavors, highly saturated color, and layers of complexity.

2018 Beringer Chardonnay Private Reserve Napa
List Price: $47.50        Your Price: $41.80

(94 Points) The classic Napa release from this estate, the 2018 Chardonnay Private Reserve has lots of beautiful golden apple, caramelized citrus, toasted nut, and hints of acacia flowers. With a rich, textured style, it still stays beautifully fresh, balanced, and layered. It's a brilliant effort. Jeb Dunnuck

2018 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Valley
List Price: $28.50        Your Price: $25.08

(90 Points) Lots of creme de cassis and plum-styled fruits emerge from the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Valley, and it has medium-bodied richness, a charming, elegant texture, classic Cabernet chocolate, leafy herbs, and earthy notes, and a great finish. It’s another rock-solid, enjoyable, nicely textured Cabernet that’s well worth drinking over the coming 8-10 years. Jeb Dunnuck

2016 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve Napa
Price: $178.50 Your Price: $157.08

(95 Points) Composed of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot aged for 20 months in 83% new French oak, the deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve sings of crème de cassis, kirsch, blackberry preserves and blueberry pie, with loads of chocolate box, floral and baking spices hints. Full-bodied with a firm, chewy frame and loads of savory accents, it delivers a long, multilayered finish. 13,304 cases produced, to be released in January of 2020.  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2017 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve Napa
Price: $178.50 Your Price: $157.08

(96 Points) “The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve is brilliant, with a ripe, powerful style that’s going to age gracefully. Deep blackcurrants, dark chocolate, scorched earth, and graphite notes all emerge from this concentrated, powerful Cabernet that has ripe tannins, a big, rich mid-palate, and a great finish. It’s going to benefit from 3-5 years of bottle age and keep for upwards of two decades with no issues." - Jeb Dunnuck, February 2020  JEB DUNNUCK

2019 Stags Leap Winery Chardonnay Napa
Price: $25.50   Your Price: $22.44

The grapes for our Napa Valley Chardonnay were sourced from the cooler southern appellations within Napa Valley, where fog from the San Pablo Bay helps to cool the vineyards throughout the growing season, allowing for ideal preservation of freshness and acidity. The majority of the fruit comes from the Carneros AVA which provides citrus, mineral, and crisp apple notes, with a smaller percentage coming from the Oak Knoll AVA, which contributes more tropical and stone fruit characteristics. These vineyards consistently produce Chardonnay ideal for our style of winemaking with fresh fruit flavors and bright acidity and vibrancy. The Napa Valley region enjoyed a stunning, near picture-perfect 2018 growing season including good winter rains, mild spring weather and steady temperatures throughout that allowed for even flowering and bud break. These ideal growing conditions were followed by a cool, even and slow-paced harvest which allowed the winery to vinify wines at a gentle pace. The resulting 2018 wines are of very high quality with lower alcohol, concentrated flavors, color and excellent acidity. Our Napa Valley Chardonnay is gently whole-cluster pressed, in order to preserve the fresh aromatics naturally occurring in the fruit. Twenty-five percent of the wine is fermented in stainless steel and remains in tank until the final blend is assembled, twenty-five percent of the wine is fermented and aged in new French oak barrels and the remaining fifty percent in seasoned French oak. This specific barrel treatment helps preserve the essential purity of the fruit while adding subtle notes of oak complexity. The 2018 vintage, as usual, did not undergo malolactic fermentation, which helps to further maintain the fruit’s natural acidity, terroir expression and aromatic freshness. The wine was bottled after just six months of maturation with a weekly batonnage, putting the yeast lees in suspension to increase the mouthfeel, and prevent reductive aromas.

2017 Stags Leap Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $52.50   Your Price: $46.20

The 2017 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is expressive and inviting, with a bouquet of wild blackberry and fresh black currant fruit alongside delicate floral notes of geranium and violet, with warmer notes of caramel, sweet cinnamon, cardamom and black pepper spice coming through from the oak integration. On the palate, the berry fruit profile continues with juicy blackberry, cassis and strawberry, but there are also hints of sweet tobacco, brown spice and bittersweet chocolate, giving this Cabernet a rich charm and fullness. Seamlessly integrated oak and cocoa-powdery tannins provide a plush mouthfeel and add layers of complexity, all wrapping up with a lengthy textured finish. Incredibly approachable and pleasing upon release, this wine is sure to impress and pair well alongside many culinary treats

2016 Stags' Leap Winery Petite Sirah Napa
Price: $40.50   Your Price: $35.64

A bit if Syrah, Grenache and Viognier in the blend, they had plantings of Petite Syrah going back to the early 1900's, this winery was one of the people that put this grape on the map.  A big and brawny wine with a nice hand of wild game, dark spices and espresso like coffee notes, very big bouquet.  A big and chewy wine on the tongue with nice richness and a host of dark spices at the end, very well built.  Finish 45+    Excellent

2016 Stags' Leap Cabernet Sauvignon The Leap Napa
Price: $101.25 Your Price: $89.10

(95 Points) "Composed of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec, the deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon The Leap starts off a little closed, soon unfurling to reveal notes of cassis, fresh blackberries, mulberries and tobacco leaf with hints of new leather, bay leaves, pencil lead and espresso. Medium-bodied, the palate has great intensity and freshness with a firm frame of ripe, grainy tannins and loads of soft-spoken savory nuances poking through the black berry layers, finishing on a lingering mineral note. 5,230 cases were made.” - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, August 13th, 2020. Wine Advocate

The rest of the Beaulieu Vineyard wines in the store:

  
Beaulieu Vineyards Carneros Chardonnay 2016
Price: $24.00   Sale $21.12

Beaulieu Vineyard was among the first wineries to create world-class Chardonnay from the Carneros region of Napa Valley. The rich, shallow Carneros soils and cool breezes from the San Pablo Bay are perfectly suited to create exceptional Chardonnay wines. "I am pleased to carry forward this tradition of excellence by crafting this wine, which displays vibrant peach and nectarine while soft oak tones add complexity to the lingering finish." - Jeffrey Stambor, Winemaker

Tasting Notes
Our 2016 Carneros Chardonnay offers vibrant aromas of Meyer lemon citrus, ripe stone fruit, pear blossom and notes of candied ginger. This full-bodied wine is palate coating with layers of  creamy  lemon,  crisp  red  apple,  sweet  almond  flavors  and  a  kiss  of  spice.  The  oak  is  a  pleasant backdrop supporting the core of bright fruit underpinning the overall structure of the wine. The inviting aromas, flavors, rich texture and persistent acidity shows a well-integrated wine that slowly reveals its complex nature with every swirl and sip from the glass.

Vineyard Notes
We selected all of the grapes from our Beaulieu Vineyard Ranches No. 9 and No. 8, where the vines, grafted to Dijon clones 95 and 76, yield small, intensely flavored berries. These Chardonnay  vineyards  are  located  in  the  cool,  windy  Los  Carneros  American  Viticultural  Area (AVA) at the southernmost tip of Napa Valley. The region’s shallow clay loam soils and marine-influenced climate foster ripe, beautifully balanced Chardonnay expression.

Vintage Notes:  Good rainfall during the winter helped ease California’s ongoing drought. A dry spring with warm temperatures and no frost led to early budbreak. With groundwater at good levels from the  winter  rains  the  vines  had  plenty  of  water  to  soak  up  during  the  dry,  relatively  even  growing season. Harvest started about 2 weeks earlier than average and conditions were mild with  no  heat  spikes  or  rains  to  interfere.  The  overall  grape  yields  were  average  with  high  quality fruit offering great concentration of flavors and good acidity levels. 

Winemaking Notes:  We harvested the Chardonnay into small bins at night and rushed them to our winery. After gently pressing the whole clusters, we barrel fermented all of the wine in small oak barrels for layers of flavor and texture complexity. Stirring the yeast during 10 months of aging enhanced the  silky  mouthfeel,  and  integrated  creamy  nuances  from  partial  malolactic  fermentation.  A  small amount of fragrant Viognier adds enticing floral nuances to the fruity aromas.

2017 Beaulieu Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
List Price: $31.50        Your Price: $27.72

2015 Beaulieu Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
List Price: $31.50        Your Price: $27.72

2016 Beaulieu Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
List Price: $31.50        Your Price: $27.72

(90 Points) “The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is composed of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Syrah, 6% Petite Sirah, 4% Touriga Nacional, 3% Malbec and 2% other complementary varietals, aged in French, American and European oak (30% new) for 15 months. Deep garnet-purple colored, it leaps boldly from the glass with boisterous crème de cassis, blueberry pie and baking spice scents with touches of chocolate box and potpourri. Full, rich and opulent, it has a plush texture and tons of forward, spicy fruit, finishing fruity.” - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate, October 2018

Vineyard Note
We sourced the majority of the Cabernet from Napa Valley’s Rutherford, Calistoga and St. Helena appellations. The diverse soils and microclimates, as well as the various clones of Cabernet Sauvignon and cultivation techniques, contributed to this wine’s complex flavor profile. The balance of the blend was grown both in our estate vineyards and other quality vineyards of Napa Valley.

2015 Beaulieu Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford Napa
Price: $45.00   Your Price: $39.60

Tasting Notes Deep and intense, our 2015 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon reveals the superb concentration of the vintage. Opulent layers of blackberry, black cherry and juicy plum character unfold with complex nuances of violet and mocha. Ample, mature tannins provide firm structure and rich texture for the mouthfilling flavors. Nicely integrated hints of allspice, cinnamon, and caramel from toasted oak barrels lace the aromas and lingering finish. This big, generous Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is approachable and delicious now, yet promises cellar worthiness. Vineyard Note We sourced the majority of the Cabernet from Napa Valley’s Rutherford, Calistoga and St. Helena appellations. The diverse soils and microclimates, as well as the various clones of Cabernet Sauvignon and cultivation techniques, contributed to this wine’s complex flavor profile. The balance of the blend was grown both in our estate vineyards and other quality vineyards of Napa Valley.

A bit about Beaulieu Vineyards:

He was a Russian immigrant with a name that still confounds connoisseurs.  He had studied enology in Paris and was summoned to America in the late thirties to make wine for the family of Georges de Latour in Rutherford, California.  Nobody could know then the profound impact that this man, Andre Tchelistcheff, would have on the future course of the California wine industry. 

Four decades earlier in 1900 the de Latours founded the winery they named Beaulieu (beautiful place), and it flourished during the early part of the century.  In order to prevent the complete collapse of the winery during Prohibition, Monsieur de Latour made sacramental wines at BV. (Sometime in the early history of Beaulieu the name as additionally abbreviated "BV" to accommodate an American public which had difficulty pronouncing French words.)  After repeal de Latour concentrated on returning the winery to its former status; and before he died in 1940, he committed the land directly across from the winery to producing the finest Cabernet possible.  In his honor the wine made there was called Georges de Latour Private Reserve.

Winemaker Tcheltistcheff knew what great wine this small vineyard was capable of producing.  Immediately after Prohibition, the Cabernets from this select plot were sold to Californians as simple jug "Burgundy"; at that time no sophisticated audience of wine lovers existed.  However, Andre set out to create one.  Although practically nobody else in California was doing so, he insisted on aging red wines in small oak barrels.  This is viewed by many historical observers of the scene as one of his greatest contributions to California wine. (It was American oak, however, and it is still preferred to this day at BV over the more subtle, less aggressive French oak.)  Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon first appeared on the American market with the 1936 vintage.  It was a benchmark occasion for California wine, for it was the first post-Prohibition attempt at producing a premium varietal at what was in those days a very premium price.  It is interesting to note that the 1936 BV Reserve sold for $8.50 a case when it was released in 1939 and could still be purchased in 1955 for $1 per bottle!! Tchelistcheff went on to make many more innovative technological contributions to the California wine industry; he officially retired in 1972.  Since Tchelistcheff's "retirement" he has consulted to dozens of wineries.  Today, in his eighties, Andre Tchelistcheff is revered as the "father of the modern California wine industry."

As the wine from the Georges de Latour Vineyard grew famous, Beaulieu became known as the "royal house of Napa" - crosstown rival Inglenook notwithstanding.  American Presidents always served BV Private Reserves to visiting dignitaries in the fifties and the sixties.  Some older vintages of the Private Reserve have  become legendary and demand prices in auctions approaching those of the Grand Crus of Bordeaux (the great 1936 BV Reserve now commands over $2000/bottle).  With the proliferation of a number of great Cabernet producers in the 1970's, BV lost its unquestioned leadership.  Some maintain that BV continued to make great wines and that the winery was simply overlooked as trendy connoisseurs sought out the hottest new boutiques. 

BV has a strong history of growing grapes on some of the best sites in Napa Valley. Beginning in 1904, Georges de Latour propelled this wine growing region onto the world stage with his first vineyard purchase in Rutherford - known as BV Ranch #1. Today, with more than 1,100 acres of estate vineyards and long-term relationships with our grower partners, Beaulieu Vineyard is the largest producer of Cabernet Sauvignon in Napa Valley. We focus on combining our long term knowledge of each vineyard with extensive research on clones, trellising styles, and viticultural techniques. The results are finely tuned growing practices for each location that produce the absolute highest quality grapes.

Today the legacy of Andre Tchelistcheff lives on at Beaulieu Vineyard but the current winemaker is Trevor Durling.  Trevor presides as only the fifth winemaker in the winery’s 117-year history.  A native Californian, Trevor was raised in Sonoma County, the heart of Northern California’s wine country.  With a love of agriculture, science and cuisine, Trevor pursued his studies at the University of California Davis in the Viticulture and Enology program.  As winemaker at Beaulieu Vineyard, Trevor incorporates his passion for creating fine wines, while preserving the heritage and legacy of Beaulieu Vineyard.

Beringer Winery

The rest of the Beringer wines we have in stock:

2017 Beringer Chardonnay Napa
Price: $21.00   Sale $18.48

Plush and creamy, aromas and flavors of tart citrus lead with hints of white pear, delicious apple and a bit of lemon meringue, caramel and toasted almonds. Balanced, with moderate acidity, the brightness of the Chardonnay fruit shines through.

The 2017 vintage provided high quality thanks to lower than average yields. The year began with abundant rainfall. Spring weather was mild, resulting in extended flowering in some areas with little shatter. Vines were vigorous thanks to the winter rains. A freak hail storm passed through quickly in June causing isolated damage. Three heat events, including one over Labor Day weekend, kicked harvest into high gear. Cool weather arrived immediately afterward, allowing sugar levels to return to normal. Grapes for the 2017 Napa Valley Chardonnay were harvested between September 6th and September 29th.

2018 Beringer Chardonnay Luminus Oak Knoll
Price: $27.00   Sale $23.76

Meaning “light” in Latin, Luminus naturally represents the radiance of this Chardonnay. Like the brightness and purity that the name conjures, Chardonnay from the Oak Knoll district is known for its uncommon focus. The Chardonnay fruit from the Big Ranch Vineyard is known for its elegance and balance and Chief Winemaker Mark Beringer has always gravitated towards this acid-driven, food-friendly style of Chardonnay.

2017 Beringer Chardonnay Private Reserve Napa
Price: $37.50   Sale $33.00

Gamble Ranch, the source for Private Reserve, is Beringer's northernmost Chardonnay vineyard. The vineyard, located near the town of Yountville, in the Oakville AVA, sees daytime temperatures slowly climb as the cooling morning fog recedes south to San Pablo Bay. This significant diurnal shift allows the grapes to maintain their acidity, which is essential to balancing the ripe, rich flavors as they develop during warm afternoons.

2018 Beringer Chardonnay Private Reserve Napa
Price: $47.50   Your Price: $41.80

(94 Points) The classic Napa release from this estate, the 2018 Chardonnay Private Reserve has lots of beautiful golden apple, caramelized citrus, toasted nut, and hints of acacia flowers. With a rich, textured style, it still stays beautifully fresh, balanced, and layered. It's a brilliant effort. Jeb Dunnuck

2018 Beringer Quantum Napa
Price: $48.00   Sale $42.24

Quantum is the smallest unit of energy achievable in science. Each tiny particle – each singular quantum – holds unique potential to contribute to a larger being. When these units combine, each quantum contributes its specific essence, resulting in a system of great expression and complexity. Similarly in wine, Beringer recognizes that each grape varietal offers unique flavor and structure, and that each vineyard and block of vines contributes yet another expression of those varietals. In other words, each of these components acts as a quantum. When these varietals, or quanta combine, they produce something of far greater value.

2014 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Distinction Napa
Price: $52.50   Your Price: $46.20

A blend of Reserve Vineyards from Beringer: Bancroft Ranch & Steinhauer on Howell Mountain, Martson Ranch on Spring Mountian and the Home Vineyard in St Helena form the foundation of this mountain and valley floor decadent red. All of these great sites make their way into the famed “Private Reserve Cabernet” from Beringer

2016 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Distinction Napa
Price: $52.50   Your Price: $46.20

The deep garnet color hints at the pomegranate and acai within. Crème de cassis and blueberry pie play against oak, cloves and black olive on the full-bodied palate. Opulent to the point of decadence with excellent depth and a firm, grainy backbone, this finishes with a lingering, earthy note. Likely to grow even more complex with age, this is already eminently enjoyable and well worth a place on your table.

2015 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Valley Reserve
Price: $67.50   Sale $59.40

A selection of the best fruit from their Knights valley, there are a bit of other varietals in the blend around 3%, dark currant and cassis berry fruit with layers of cassis currants and toasty oak spice, fresh plowed black earth, black pepper spice.  A big and chewy wine with smooth tannins, that dark earth and dark coco like notes through the finish.  Finish 40+    Excellent

2015 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve Napa
Price: $177.00 Sale $155.76  

The brothers Frederick and Jacob Beringer established Beringer in 1876 in the belief that Napa could be a premier wine-growing region like Germany’s Rhine River Valley, from which they hailed. The brothers quickly made Beringer famous for producing world-class wines, a legacy that continues to this day and reaches its finest expression in our Private Reserve series.

To make these small-production wines, fifth-generation winemaker Mark Beringer chooses the best lots from our reserve vineyards in the Napa Valley, each demonstrating a different aspect of Napa’s prized terroir. Beringer’s Private Reserve wines have become famous as one of the truest expressions of a given vintage.

Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Vertical Pack 2013, 2014, 2015
Price: $1071    Sale 942.50

Two bottles of each vintage in this 6pk wooden case gives you a vertical selection of this great wines to add to you cellar.

2016 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon 8th Maker
Price: $482.75             Your Price: $424.82    Quantity in Stock: 3

"Eighth Maker is a celebration of my family’s heritage brought full circle, the name a nod to my stepping in as Beringer’seighth winemaker 139 years after my great-great-grandfather Jacob and his brother Frederick founded this winery. This wine is produced from the Beringer estate’s most prestigious vineyards and is a culmination of over a century of crafting iconic Napa wines. Lush, balanced, and with excellent potential for aging, Eighth Maker is both an achievement and a homecoming." Mark Beringer

A brief history of Beringer Winery:

It the dawn of the 1980's the big story around the Napa Valley was the resuscitation of the great name of the near-dead Beringer Vineyards.  That success saga continues today and is being enlarged upon in ways that even the winery's original founders could not have imagined.  After Repeal, the big four - Beaulieu, Inglenook, Krug, and Martini - made the wines that the local Cabernet cognoscenti stashed in their cellars.  Although little has been written about Beringer during that same period, noted Napa Valley wine scribe, Bob Thompson, reports that the winery did indeed produce some outstanding wines in the late 30's and the 1940's.  One such wine - a 1937 Cabernet - was uncorked for the staff of The Wine News in 1988.  At 51, it was a revelation; we still consider it the greatest oldtimer from California that we have ever been privileged to taste.  In the 1950's Beringer lost its way; and by 1971 when the Nestlé Chocolate firm purchased the winery, Beringer was so far gone that most observers were predicting its demise.  Wine World, a subsidiary of Nestlé, was charged with the task of bringing the winery back to life.  The talented Wine World team knew that there was hope.  Although Beringer's reputation and physical plant was in shambles, the potential of its 800 acres of vineyards was an undeniable fact.  Although the corporate takeover of a winery that had been in family hands for a century was initially viewed with suspicion, Wine World soon put fears to rest. They axed all the jug wines and generic brands and began ambitious vineyard acquisitions (Beringer Wine Estates now owns or controls over 9000 acres).  Nestlé poured untold millions into an earnest rebuilding of the once-revered Beringer name.  Myron Nightingale, one of California's winemaking legends, was to be the architect of the reconstruction.

Nightingale moved quickly to get Beringer back into the fray with a line of good medium-priced varietals, but the battle for consumer acceptance was a long and hard road. The wine press in those days was small, and word did not get around quite so fast.  Undaunted and irrevocably committed to long range success, Wine World continued to make all the right moves.  One of them was Ed Sbragia.  Ed is a big Teddy Bear of a man who cuts an imposing figure - a gentleman whose talent is a match for his size.  The young Sbragia came to work for Beringer in 1976 to apprentice under Nightingale.  He wanted to make wine with the best - it was in his blood.  His grandfather and his father made Zinfandel from grapes grown on the old homestead near Healdsburg.  Ed’s training with Nightingale and his performance through three decades at Beringer has made him one of the most respected winemakers in the Napa Valley.  He has been with Beringer for almost three decades, and he has been in full charge since Nightingale retired in 1984.  In 1994 we asked Ed why a young winemaker would choose to go to work for what was then a truly moribund winery.  "Because I wanted to work under Myron", he replied.  Sbragia knew there was much to learn and that it was a golden opportunity to work side by side with one of the great masters.  Although Nightingale was in the twilight of his career, he was still experimenting and still breaking new ground.

Together, Nightingale & Sbragia put Beringer on the map with Cabernet.  The break-through came with the 1978 Private Reserve-Lemmon Ranch Cabernet - that vintage allowed Beringer to turn the corner and shoot to the forefront of Napa producers.  Beginning in 1981, Nightingale and Sbragia began to blend from several of their best ranches to make the Private Reserve, and the folks at Wine World will tell you that this has been the secret to Beringer's consistency over the past decade.  The winemaker's blending skills are of prime importance at Beringer, and Sbragia has an unblemished record.  He has crafted an unbroken string of outstanding Cabernets that have been absolutely superb in years such as 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995 and 1996.  Beringer's Private Reserve Cabernets have been among the very few California Cabernets worthy of a collector's cellar in vintages such as 1983 (the best in the Valley that year), 1988, 1989, and 1993.  This 1996 Private Reserve Cabernet is another classic from a very good to excellent vintage, another example of how Beringer continues to shine unfaltering.

Beringer entered the Merlot arena in a grand way in the 1987 vintage - from the outset the rugged, massively-structured, Cabernet-like Merlots from the Bancroft Ranch on Howell Mountain have made Beringer a powerhouse in the Merlot business.  Because Beringer's Merlot speaks more of its appellation than its varietal make-up, it will not please the masses.  This is a Merlot with the stuffing to outlast many Cabernets; it is one of the few made in California that we would trust to age well for ten to fifteen years in a cool cellar.  Beringer's accomplishment with Cabernet is well documented, but what is new is the sudden ascendancy of Beringer as a powerhouse Chardonnay producer.  For some time the winery's Proprietor Grown Napa Chardonnay has been quite good, but the Beringer Private Reserve Chardonnays are another matter altogether.  At the turn of the last decade, Beringer made several superb Chardonnays - the 1980 Reserve was one of the top wines of that vintage.  Later renditions, however, never seemed to have enough fruit to support the oak.  Finally Sbragia decided to make some important changes.  The result has been seven consecutive Reserve Chardonnays (beginning with the 1990) that have been among the best of each vintage. The 1994 Reserve Chardonnay was the first white wine ever to hold the prestigious title of “Wine of the Year” in The Wine Spectator.   Ed's prowess with Chardonnay has found its ultimate expression with one very special bottling known as "Sbragia-Limited Release".  All five we have tasted to date (1991 was the first vintage) have been spectacular wines which compete with the top Chardonnays made anywhere in the world.  Be on the look out for other exciting wines such as the consistently excellent Knight's Valley Cabernet and the winery's best-kept secret - the Meritage White from Knight's Valley fruit that is a blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc.  Although Beringer ranks as one of the Napa Valley's largest producers, it is also one of Napa's best and just seems to be getting better and better.  There are a lot more pages in the Beringer saga, in August of 1997 the winery went public offering 25% of its shares for sale.  In the summer of 2000, the winery was sold to Fosters Brewing Company of Australia.  With all of the change at Beringer, one of the things that remain invariable is its winemaker, Ed Sbragia.  He is at the top of his game with a long, even brighter future ahead of him.  When Myron Nightingale passed away, he left a legacy of accomplishments.  Perhaps his greatest was his young apprentice, Ed Sbragia.

Today, Beringer is owned by an Australian firm Treasury Wine Estates and is still considered to be among one of the best wineries of the Napa Valley.      

A bit about Mark Beringer:

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 to 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 St. Helena, expanding his knowledge of wine as well as gaining an appreciation for wines outside of the famous region he has always called home.
After a stint in high school working as a stock clerk at the historical family property at Beringer, Mark graduated from California State University in Fresno with an Enology degree in 1990. Eager to immerse himself in winemaking, he spent a year in the cellars at Benziger in Sonoma and then joined Duckhorn in 1992. Mark began as Enologist and worked his way up to Vice President of Winemaking at Duckhorn. In 2009 Mark joined Artesa as Vice President and Winemaker.
In 2015, Mark Beringer came 'home' to Beringer Vineyards, joining as Chief Winemaker and following in the footsteps of acclaimed Winemaker Emeritus Laurie Hook. 'I'm absolutely thrilled to be making wines for the very winery that my ancestor built, and be part of the next chapter in this important story of Beringer and of the Napa Valley." notes Mark.

The rest of the wines from Stags’ Leap Winery:

               
2019 Stags Leap Winery Sauvignon Blanc Napa
Price: $25.50   Sale $22.44

VINEYARD NOTES: Our Sauvignon Blanc is sourced from two distinct vineyards in the Oak Knoll and Stags Leap District AVAs, with a majority coming from Gamble Ranch in Oak Knoll and the rest from Stags Landing vineyard in Stags Leap.  Located in the southern part of Napa Valley, Oak Knoll is optimal for growing Sauvignon Blanc, providing sufficient sun exposure for ripening and cool marine fog for maintaining natural acidity. Sauvignon Blanc planted here shows flavor complexity and refined aromatic expression, ideal for our bottling.  Further up valley at Stags Landing, the vineyard is near the Napa River and contributes richer, riper toned Sauvignon Blanc fruit, as well as the distinctive minerality found in Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc.

VINTAGE NOTES: The beauty of Sauvignon Blanc is captured in its freshness, and the traditional techniques used by Winemaker Christophe Paubert preserve that splendor.  To improve the aromatic extraction prior to fermenting, the winemakers used a technique in which the juice and lees were in tank together for up to three days prior to fermentation, along with intentional skin contact during that time, to create more aromatic richness and texture on the palate.  The wine was then aged for six months in 20% new and 50% neutral French Oak barrels, while 30% of the juice was preserved in stainless steel.  This wine does not go through malolactic fermentation which helps to keep the delicate floral aromas, fruit freshness and balanced acidity.

2018 Stags Leap Winery Viognier Napa    
Price: $33.25   Sale $29.26

Our Viognier is sourced from three select vineyards in the Oak Knoll and Carneros AVAs. Located in the southern part of  Napa Valley, these cooler vineyards are optimal for growing Viognier, providing sufficient sun exposure for ripening and cool marine fog for maintaining natural acidity. The Viognier planted at these Oak Knoll and Carneros vineyards showcase flavor complexity and refined aromatic expression ideal for our bottling.

The Napa Valley region enjoyed a stunning, near picture-perfect 2018 growing season including good winter rains, mild spring weather and steady temperatures throughout that allowed for even flowering and bud break. These ideal growing conditions were followed by a cool, even and slow-paced harvest which allowed the winery to vinify wines at a gentle pace. The resulting 2018 wines are of very high quality with concentrated flavors, color and excellent acidity.

2016 Stags Leap Winery Merlot Napa
Price: $36.00   Sale $31.68

With freshness emphasizing its southern Napa origins, the 2016 Merlot is a combination of juicy black cherry, macerated strawberries, fig, vanilla and cherry cola. There are also delicate light floral rose petal, cocoa powder, forest floor and sweet baking spice notes, imparted from the oak ageing. The palate is generous and dense with mouth pleasing fruit flavors, polished structure, refreshing acidity, and plush tannins, leading to a lengthy finish, exhibiting a well-balanced wine that shows the true elegance of Merlot. 
Our Napa Valley Merlot is crafted with grapes from vineyards in the southern part of Napa Valley. Fruit from Oak Knoll makes up the majority of the blend, with the remaining fruit sourced from Carneros and the south part of the Oakville appellation. Merlot can lose its varietal identity when exposed to too much heat, but the fruit from these select southerly vineyards exhibit varietal expressions of fresh fruit character, structure, and bright acidity.

The extended drought was beginning to cause real concern as the 2016 growing season kicked off, but some welcomed winter rain hinted at the relief to come. After a relatively dry January we enjoyed significant rainfall in February, along with mild temperatures. Bud break was early, but was slowed by heavy April showers. While still early by historical standards, picking began about a week later than 2015, right around Labor Day, and continued at a leisurely pace, allowing the grapes to reach full flavor maturity. A traditionally sized harvest followed the lighter showing of 2015, and the extended mild season helped to balance the acids and add complexity to the layers of flavors. Considered a perfect harvest and a winemaker’s dream vintage, conditions were perfect for producing a Merlot with beautiful fruit as well as tremendous concentration of flavors, highly saturated color, and layers of complexity.

Stags Leap Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 2016       
Price: $51.00   Sale $44.88

(94 Points) The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Malbec, 5% Merlot and 5% Rhône varieties aged in 37% new French oak for 20 months. Deep purple-black in color, it opens with crushed blueberries, black cherries and cassis with touches of yeast extract, beef dripping, bay leaves and cedar with a waft of lilacs. Medium-bodied and wonderfully elegant in the mouth, the palate reveals fantastic energy with a firm, grainy frame and long, mineral-laced finish. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate, October 29, 2018

2017 Stags Leap Winery The Investor Napa
Price: $51.00   Sale $44.88

(90 Points) The 2017 The Investor is a blend of 37% Merlot, 30% Petite Sirah, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Malbec. It was aged for 20 months with the Petite Sirah in American Oak (25% new) and the Bordeaux varieties in French oak (35% new). Deep garnet-purple in color, notes of blueberry pie, blackcurrant jelly and baked blackberries soar out of the glass followed by subtle scents of cloves, vanilla pod, powdered cinnamon and molten chocolate with a waft of plum sauce. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is chock-full of spicy black and blue fruits with soft, rounded tannins and just enough freshness to lend a little vigor to the savory finish.  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2015 Stags Leap Winery "The Leap" Napa         
Price: $101.25 Sale $89.10

(95 Points) The 2015 The Leap Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is made up of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon with 6% Petite Sirah and 2% Petit Verdot aged in 50% new French oak for 20 months. It has a very deep garnet-purple color and reveals notions of crème de cassis, Black Forest cake and redcurrant jelly with suggestions of camphor, forest floor, pencil lead and cigar boxes with a touch of rose hip tea. The palate is full-bodied with a firm, grainy backbone and loads of red fruit sparks lifting the rich, black fruit layers to a long invigorating finish.  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

A bit about Stags’ Leap Winery:

Just seven miles north of Napa, in a valley within a valley, lies the century-old, 240-acre wine estate known as Stags' Leap. Little has changed here since 1893, the year the winery was founded by Horace Chase and his wife Minnie Mizner Chase, the daughter of a prominent San Franciscan who was a U.S. Senator and Ambassador to Central America.

The property was named "Stags' Leap" after an old Indian legend that, one version says, told of a stag leaping across crags of the palisades (bordering the east side of the estate) to escape hunters. In addition to the old stone winery, the Chases built a gracious manor house and guest house that still stand, excavated the first wine storage caves on the east side of Napa Valley and installed what is thought to be the first in-ground fresh water swimming pool in Northern California. Stags' Leap became a center of social life, attracting the era's most prominent politicians, artists and writers. Friends making a journey from San Francisco crossed the Bay by ferry to Vallejo, boarded a train to Yountville, and made the last leg of their journey to Stags' Leap in horse-drawn carriages.

Perhaps it is the power of the land itself. Perhaps only providence. For whatever reason, those who have owned the Stags' Leap estate have taken it upon themselves to be stewards; committed to maintaining the rich natural heritage of this charmed valley.

Most remarkable among these individuals was Mrs. Frances Grange, who acquired Stags' Leap from Horace Chase in 1913. She carefully transformed the property into a working ranch and the Napa Valley's preeminent resort. Stags' Leap soon became a refuge for San Franciscans escaping the cold July fog and film stars dogged by press and fans. By day they sequestered themselves in the good care of Mrs. Grange and her staff, lounging, hiking and splashing in one of the state's first "swimming tanks."  Evening found them dining on the grand porch against a brilliant backdrop of orange and scarlet, painted by the sun as it slipped behind the Mayacamas Mountains.

After the Grange era, the winery, Manor House and cottages fell into disrepair. Wine production began again in earnest in 1971 when the property was purchased by Carl Doumani and underwent a vast restoration. In 1988 Doumani hired winemaker Robert Brittan and charged him with the task of making wines that express the unique qualities of the estate's vineyard. In 1997 Stags' Leap was purchased by Beringer Wine Estates, which in 2000 was purchased by the Australian company Foster’s Brewing Group, Ltd., whose two wine groups combined and are now Treasury Wine Estates. Robert Brittan continued the revitalization of the vineyards and winery until 2005.

Today, the winemaker and General manager is Christopher Paubert, for Christophe Paubert, Winemaker and General Manager at Stags’ Leap Winery, the identity of a wine is found through the terroir. Christophe’s career has spanned the industry from sales to winemaking, and his impressive background includes positions at Chateau d’Yquem and Gruaud-Larose as well as projects in Chile, Spain and Washington State. But it was the terroir of Stags’ Leap that drew him to California.

Christophe grew up just outside of Sauternes in Bordeaux, where his grandfather was a Cellar Master. He spent his childhood immersed in the culture of wine, and followed his love for wine and science to the Institut d’OEnologie in Bordeaux. After forays in wine sales, wine graduate school, and seven years retailing winemaking equipment, Christophe decided it was time to start making wine again. While visiting some friends at Chateau d’Yquem, he was offered the job of Cellar Master. His position encompassed everything from guiding tours to making the wine. “I was very passionate about this job because Sauternes is part of my culture; it was an exceptional thing to touch this unique wine.” Projects in Chile, Spain, Bordeaux, and New Zealand followed his 4 year stint with Chateau d’Yquem. “You never stop learning. I have done every job there is to do at a winery from pruning to giving tours. Every single person has an important job, and my role is to connect everyone to the greater purpose.”

Christophe’s winemaking philosophy is informed by the sum of his varied experiences: he makes wine the way he learned in France, to showcase the fruit and not the winemaker’s hand, but he applies a technical understanding of each and every step of the process.