Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Lots of dark fruits with violets and peppery greens followed by cigar box, forest floor and graphite with cedar and dark chocolates. Wonderfully structured full-bodied wine. Very focused and concentrated with serious depth and length. Artful savory complexity to it. A blend of 80% cabernet sauvignon, 10% cabernet franc, 4% petit verdot, 4% merlot and 2% malbec. Released in spring 2024. It already has a nice drinkability but will age gracefully. Drink or hold.
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Wine Enthusiast
This complex Cabernet displays an impressive array of spice and mineral notes on the nose. The palate is loaded with plum, currant, licorice, graphite and tobacco flavors in a framework of supple tannin and balancing acidity. A little time in the cellar will soften this beautifully.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve includes slightly less Cabernet Sauvignon and is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot, and the rest Merlot and Malbec. It's not far off the style of the classic Knights Valley and has spicy red and black fruits, chocolatey oak, savory herbs, vanilla bean, and loamy earth. Nicely textured, medium-bodied, and concentrated, with ripe, yet building tannins, this classic, structured, elegant Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon can be enjoyed any time over the coming 10-15 years.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Selected from several stonier, less vigorous vineyard blocks, Beringer's 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Knights Valley is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 4% each Merlot and Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec. Black cherries lead the way, joined by a slightly lavender-like, thyme-like scent on the nose. It's full-bodied—weighing in at 15.4% alcohol—but concentrated and open-knit, with soft tannins framing the long finish.
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.