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2018 Beringer "Private Reserve" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Elsewhere $165) $89.95

98 points James Suckling: "Wild blackberry, cassis, dark chocolate, tobacco and dark spice on the nose. Dried violets, too. Its medium-to full-bodied with firm, powdery tannins and a creamy texture. Intense, yet restrained and refined, with a solid core of dark berries and bitter chocolate. Really focused and crafted with exemplary Napa cabernet character. Try from 2024 (JS)." (02/2022)

97 points Jeb Dunnuck: "The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve is based on 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, brought up in 90% new French oak. Its a beautiful wine that shows the vintages pure, elegant, yet concentrated style perfectly. Gorgeous crème de cassis, violets, blueberries, and cedar pencil notes emerge from the glass, and this beauty builds incrementally on the palate, with full-bodied richness, a lively, pure, layered texture, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It can be enjoyed any time over the coming 20-25 years (JD)." (01/2021)

97 points Vinous: "The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve is every bit as impressive today as it was last year. It might very well be the finest Private Reserve I have ever tasted. More than anything else, the 2018 impresses with its energy and total sense of finesse. It's a wine that marries power with vibrancy in grand style. As always, most of the fruit is sourced from Beringer's ranches on Howell Mountain (AG)." (10/2021)

Ryan Woodhouse | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: February 18, 2025

The 2018 Beringer "Private Reserve" Cabernet is nothing short of a show-stopping wine. The intensity of perfume, layered mélange of dark fruit, and powerful yet refined structure are interwoven with exceptional skill and masterful effect. This is a wine that shows the true length and breadth of the Napa Valley AVA.

The fruit sourcing here is Beringer's most powerful flex when assembling this wine. Leaning heavily into their own historic and iconic estate vineyards on Howell Mountain and in St. Helena, they also bring in fruit from top sites in Oakville, Mount Veeder, Calistoga, and Spring Mountain, relying on decades-long relationships that give them access to the best fruit money can buy. With world-class raw materials now assembled, the winemaking team takes on the monumental task of crafting a seamless and harmonious wine. Led by 5th generation vigneron Mark Beringer (who is only the 8th winemaker in the winery's 150-year history), the wine is aged for 18 months in top-quality French oak before blending and another 16 months aging in bottle before release.

Right from the outset, I have loved the 2018 vintage in Napa. It was a cooler year than recent averages, and wasn't impacted by any serious heat spikes or local wildfires. Winemakers had the relative luxury of picking fruit exactly when they wanted, with a measured, gradual ripening and great flavor and tannin development. The 2018s don't have the out-and-out decadence of the 2016 or 2019s; they're more focused, structured, layered, and most definitely age-worthy. I think many of the great wines of the vintage, such as this one, will be 50-year wines when stored correctly.

That said, a recent tasting of 2018s, including the Beringer Private Reserve, shows that the wines are still very accessible and showing lovely youthful fruit currently with very little bottle development thus far in their evolution. The quality of the tannin and balance of the fruit means many of these wines will have a long drinking window over the next few decades.

On the nose, the wine shows classic crème de cassis, mulberry compote, hints of wild thyme, pencil shavings, cocoa powder, and toasted oak spices. The palate positively resonates with dark blue and black fruits, bittersweet chocolate, and crushed rock mineral underpinnings. More aromas emerge, hinting at unsmoked cigar, camphor, and forest floor notes (perhaps from the Spring Mountain component). The tannins are serious, but long, fine, and beautifully integrated. The bright acidity and lift, so typical of the vintage, really elevate the wine and assure a long life in the cellar.

When the chance to buy a parcel of this wine at a very reasonable price came my way, I had zero hesitation. Even at its typical SRP of $175, the wine is a relative value versus many of the upstart "cult" wines of the region. Given this wine's incredible pedigree, quality, and long-proven track record of excellence, this is a no-brainer purchase for anyone with room in their cellar who loves classic Napa Valley Cabernet.