Other vintages

The flagship is the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve and it's a blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance Petit Verdot and Malbec that's mostly from Howell Mountain, with small lots from St Helena, Spring Mountain, Mount Veeder, and Calistoga. Aged 20 months in 82% new French oak, it 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.

Always the best of all of them is the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve, which in this vintage is a blend of 62% from their Howell Mountain holdings, 22% from St. Helena, 7% from Spring Mountain, 7% from Mt. Veeder and the rest from other sources. Only 7,383 cases were made of this blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot and Petit Verdot. The wine has an inky purple color, a big, sweet kiss of pen ink, graphite, cedar wood, licorice, blackberries and blackcurrants with some background oak, but it's dominated by the fruit extract and the full-bodied richness and glycerin this wine possesses. The texture is open and lush, and the wine more forward and sexy than the 2013 was at a similar stage of development. It should drink well for 20-25 years, as these wines have an impeccable track record of ageability.

Beringer's flagship 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve is mostly Howell Mountain fruit. Rich and seamless on the palate, the 2014 possesses striking depth, along with scents of black cherry, chocolate, menthol and spices. Interestingly, the Private Reserve is more accessible than some of the single-vineyard Cabernets. Accordingly, it will drink well with minimal cellaring.

The reserve-worthy wine is made from vineyards across the valley, with the majority coming from Howell Mountain and St. Helena. It reflects the power of mountain fruit with dense sweet tannins, black-inky color and swathes of toasted oak, the big body accented in sanguine currant and cassis.

Centered on a firm core of dark, rich, cedary blackberry and wild berry flavors, with licorice, anise, spice, herb and woody notes. The wood is the major flavor and textural theme, gaining a stronger sense of balance on the finish. Best from 2018 through 2030. 7,194 cases made.