Winemaker Notes
Rich, full-bodied and deeply rewarding, this vintage expression is one for the ages (and aging). Notes of crème de cassis, black and blue fruits and baking spices frame flavors of ripe plum, dark cherry and chocolate in a muscular yet exceedingly well balanced and elegant wine. A memorable, lingering finish continues to reveal multiple layers of complexity to be enjoyed over the next two decades.
Blend: 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
Breathtaking. Exceptional integration of super ripe blackberries and the very finest oak. The tannins build up beautifully, forming wave upon wave as the wine flows across the palate. Then the wave breaks on your palate and shoots way out at the finish, so that you wonder where it will end and normal life begin again. Needs time to soften, but this is so, so good. Give it two or three years.
-
Jeb Dunnuck
As with the 2015, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve shows the vintage beautifully and is more pure, classic, and elegant. Notes of crème de cassis, graphite, lead pencil shavings, and freshly crushed rocks give way to a medium to full-bodied, seamless Cabernet that has remarkable purity of fruit and impeccable balance. Made from 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot aged in 83% new French oak, it’s more reserved and backward than the 2015 and will benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and keep for two decades.
Rating: 97+ -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Composed of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot aged for 20 months in 83% new French oak, the deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve sings of crème de cassis, kirsch, blackberry preserves and blueberry pie, with loads of chocolate box, floral and baking spices hints. Full-bodied with a firm, chewy frame and loads of savory accents, it delivers a long, multilayered finish. 13,304 cases produced, to be released in January of 2020.
-
Wine Enthusiast
Dust and sage color this bold, powerful wine, which is layered and complex in its ripeness and structure. Weighty in oak and tannin, it shows an expanse of rich red fruit, from cassis to current, with seasonings of cocoa dust, espresso and cigar. Enjoy best after cellaring 2026–2031.
Cellar Selection -
Wine Spectator
Juicy and engaging, with lots of raspberry, blackberry and black currant fruit flavors pumping along, laced with licorice and fruitcake notes and backed by a lively, bramble-edged finish. Drink now through 2030.
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.