Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This is very focused with very fine tannins, giving texture and form to the wine. Blackberry, blueberry and chocolate undertones. Some rosemary and lavender undertones, as well as granite. Full to medium body, integrated tannins and a long, flavorful finish. Juicy. Drink or hold.
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Wine Spectator
Sturdy and structured, with cedary oak evident in the aroma and palate, gaining depth and complexity. A good bet to gain from here. Best from 2020 through 2030.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Very deep inky-purple in color, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Knights Valley (92% Cabernet Sauvignon with 6% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot) is scented of crushed blackcurrants, blackberry pie and mincemeat with nuances of baking spices, menthol, cedar box and tobacco leaf. Medium to full-bodied with great finesse and a solid foundation of grainy tannins, the muscular fruit yields youthful berry layers long into the finish. 6,030 cases were made.
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.