Winemaker Notes
"A big offering, the full-bodied 2005 Chardonnay Private Reserve reveals notions of hazelnuts intermixed with honeyed pineapple, poached pears, and toasty oak. Well-made with good acidity, beautiful richness, and a vibrant, long finish, it should drink well for 4-5 years."
-The Wine Advocate
"Deep gold hue. Heady ripe peach and apricot aromas with a deft hand in the toasted oak department. Upfront tangy peach, pineapple, cinnamon and toasted oak flavors. A well-structured, fruit-driven wine that displays incredible staying power."
-Wine News "Tasters Choice"
Smoky, toasty oak aromas show riper, richer fruit flavors on the palate, with ripe fig, melon, apricot and spice nuances. The flavors turn delicate and complex on the finish. Drink now through 2010."
-Wine Spectator "Highly Recommended"
The Beringer's northernmost Chardonnay vineyards, Gamble Ranch, Big Ranch Road and Yountville Vineyard, are located around the town of Yountville, where daytime temperatures slowly climb as the cooling morning fog recedes south to San Pablo Bay. This significant diurnal shift allows the grapes to maintain their acidity, which is essential to balancing the ripe, rich flavors they develop during warm afternoons. As harvest approached, Winemaster Ed Sbragia together with Winemaker Laurie Hook worked closely with vineyard manager Jim Frisinger to identify the blocks and rows that had reserve potential.
"For the 2004 vintage, Ed and I were particularly impressed with our Gamble Ranch vineyard, which makes up 73 percent of the blend in this Private Reserve. The unique flavor profiles contribute to a rich reserve wine while letting the fruit characteristics shine through," said Laurie Hook, winemaker.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A big offering, the full-bodied 2005 Chardonnay Private Reserve reveals notions of hazelnuts intermixed with honeyed pineapple, poached pears, and toasty oak. Well-made with good acidity, beautiful richness, and a vibrant, long finish, it should drink well for 4-5 years.
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Wine Spectator
Smoky, toasty oak aromas lead to riper, richer fruit flavors on the palate, with a medley of ripe fig, melon, apricot and spice nuances. The flavors turn delicate and complex on the 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.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
One of the world's most highly regarded regions for wine production as well as tourism, the Napa Valley was responsible for bringing worldwide recognition to California winemaking. In the 1960s, a few key wine families settled the area and hedged their bets on the valley's world-class winemaking potential—and they were right.
The Napa wine industry really took off in the 1980s, when producers scooped up vineyard lands and planted vines throughout the county. A number of wineries emerged, and today Napa is home to hundreds of producers ranging from boutique to corporate. Cabernet Sauvignon is definitely the grape of choice here, with many winemakers also focusing on Bordeaux blends. White wines from Napa Valley are usually Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that claim specific wine characteristics based on situation, slope and soil. Farthest south and coolest from the influence of the San Pablo Bay is Carneros, followed by Coombsville to its northeast and then Yountville, Oakville and Rutherford. Above those are the warm St. Helena and the valley's newest and hottest AVA, Calistoga. These areas follow the valley floor and are known generally for creating rich, dense, complex and smooth red wines with good aging potential. The mountain sub appellations, nestled on the slopes overlooking the valley AVAs, include Stags Leap District, Atlas Peak, Chiles Valley (farther east), Howell Mountain, Mt. Veeder, Spring Mountain District and Diamond Mountain District. Napa Valley wines from the mountain regions are often more structured and firm, benefiting from a lot of time in the bottle to evolve and soften.