Winemaker Notes
The 2020 Knights Valley Reserve is full of richness and depth, with a very present, earthy minerality. The nose and palate are full of ripe red currant, black cherry, and blackberries. The fruit is vibrant and juicy, supported by warmer spiced notes of cinnamon, vanilla, and clove from well-integrated oak aging. The texture is silky and plush with a fine-grained, softer mouthfeel and velvety, polished tannins that lead to a long finish with dark concentrated black plum, alongside notes of black pepper and anise. The dense core of dark fruit carries the wine while an underlying brightness of acidity runs throughout. Drinking beautifully upon release but certain to age with grace for many years to come.
Blend: 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot, 2% Malbec, 1% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Very pretty depth with a tile and rock-like texture to this. Minerally. Redcurrant. Medium to full body. Juicy finish. Needs two or three years to soften and come together.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
I think this is first time we've rated a Knights Valley Reserve ahead of the Private Reserve. Selected from rockier bits of the vineyards, the 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Knights Valley features aromas of black cherries and red raspberries, offering a vastly different and more interesting fruit profile than the regular Knights Valley bottling. Dark chocolate-mocha notes, vanilla and cedar bring additional complexity to the mix. This medium to full-bodied wine is ripe, plush and long on the finish, with two decades of deliciousness ahead of it.
Rating: 93 -
Wine & Spirits
Beringer consistently produces elegant cabernet from the hills above Calistoga, where they have farmed vines since the 1960’s. Their 2020 is a textural pleasure, its luscious fruit balancing tart blueberry and sweet strawberry flavors.
As California's longest continuously operating winery, Beringer has been defining Napa Valley winemaking since it was founded by Jacob and Frederick Beringer in 1876. By continuing that pioneering spirit, Beringer established many 'firsts' as leaders in the wine industry. They were one of the first gravity fed facilities and among the first to operate using hand dug caves and cellars. Beringer were the first to give public tours in 1934, starting a Napa Valley hospitality tradition. They are the first and only winery to have both a red and a white wine named #1 Wine of the Year by Wine Spectator Magazine. Today, they proudly celebrate and remain true to their pioneering legacy.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
A small and picturesque valley separating Napa Valley on its south border and Alexander Valley to its north, Knights Valley excels in similar varieties as the two aforementioned appellations, namely red Bordeaux varieties and blends, as well as Sauvignon blanc. Originally established by Beringer Vineyards, today several outstanding producers claim acreage here. The circadian cooling effects of the nearby Pacific Ocean create a nighttime respite for vineyards during the hot growing season.