Winemaker Notes
Howell Mountain rises just to the northeast of Beringer’s winery in St. Helena, and Bancroft Ranch lies at an elevation of 1,800 feet on the western slope of the mountain. The soil here—gritty white tuff of volcanic origin—is shallow, infertile and extremely well drained. The vines produce small, intensely flavored berries with powerful, concentrated fruit flavors and thick skins that yield robust tannins. Bancroft’s forward fruit demonstrates the classic Cabernet flavor of ripe, sweet black currant. The 2015 Bancroft Ranch was aged for 20 months in 65% new French oak barrels. Careful attention is paid to vineyard blocks, which are kept separate and vinified with a goal of extracting maximum flavor.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Impressive freshness and fragrance with dark stony notes, iodine and Indian ink. Dried, roasted herbs and fresh cedary oak laced through ripe black fruits, too. The palate delivers a crisp, fresh and precise plaster-like texture. Fine but firm, long and deep black cherries, blackberries and dark plums. Some roasted coffee grounds to close. Terrific focus. Drink or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Bancroft Ranch opens with ripe plums, crushed blueberries and mulberries on the nose with hints of pencil lead, cigar box and dusty earth. Medium to full-bodied with a great, taut structure of grainy tannins and seamless acid, it fills the mouth with youthful complex flavors, finishing with some spices coming through.
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Wine Spectator
Dense and powerful, built for the long haul, with peppery dark berry, mocha, sage, cedar and underbrush flavors. Everything is pointing in the right direction. Best from 2021 through 2031.
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.
One of the most prestigious wines of the world capable of great power and grace, Napa Valley Cabernet is a leading force in the world of fine, famous, collectible red wine. Today the Napa Valley and Cabernet Sauvignon are so intrinsically linked that it is difficult to discuss one without the other. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that this marriage came to light; sudden international recognition rained upon Napa with the victory of the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1976 Judgement of Paris.
Cabernet Sauvignon undoubtedly dominates Napa Valley today, covering half of the land under vine, commanding the highest prices per ton and earning the most critical acclaim. Cabernet Sauvignon’s structure, acidity, capacity to thrive in multiple environs and ability to express nuances of vintage make it perfect for Napa Valley where incredible soil and geographical diversity are found and the climate is perfect for grape growing. Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that express specific characteristics based on situation, slope and soil—as a perfect example, Rutherford’s famous dust or Stags Leap District's tart cherry flavors.