2014 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
At the pinnacle of the impressive Beringer portfolio, the Private Reserve is a rich and seamless stunner – even more so after several years of bottle age. Blueberry, blackberry, and black cherry dance with violets, licorice and oak spice in this full-bodied, beautifully concentrated Cabernet. 2014 kicked off a series of dream years for Napa Valley and the overall outstanding quality of fruit shines like the sun in this 95-Point bottling.
Over the past 141 years, Beringer has built its name on quality and consistency. The oldest continuously operating winery in Napa Valley (they used a federal license during Prohibition that allowed them to make wine for religious purposes), they’ve been instrumental in both the development of Napa’s international reputation while simultaneously serving as a critical link to its past.
Jeb Dunnuck
The flagship Private Reserve sports an inky, opaque color to go with killer notes of blackcurrants, scorched earth, hints of oak, graphite and minerality. Rich, full-bodied and beautifully concentrated, it's tight and backward, and is more reminiscent of a 2013 than a 2014. It has the purity to drink nicely today, yet needs 4-5 years of cellaring to show its potential.