Beringer Vineyards Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2021 750ml

Beringer's Private Reserve in the 2021 vintage combines 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot, and 2% Malbec. It was aged 18 months in 65% new French oak. It's a very stylish wine with an excellent balance between its powerful, fine-grained tannins and plump, juicy, black-toned fruits. The bouquet is lovely, too, revealing a wealth of vintage-specific savoury potpourri character in its sagebrush, dried rose petal, and coriander atop candied red berry fruits and fragrant ironstone minerality. Full-bodied, with a deep core of succulent blackberry fruit that is downright silky. Between the dazzling fruit character and perfectly integrated tannin, the Private Reserve has a seamless quality, making it so approachable now but well-endowed with the structure to age gracefully.

So much dark berry, dried berry, matchstick and iodine here. Plus intense aromas of black currants and black berries. So floral. Full-bodied with firm and compacted tannins that are super polished and balanced. Very long and linear. The tightness, focus and complexity harks back to the 1990s but the purity and transparency is today. September 2024 release. 80% cabernet sauvignon, 12% cabernet franc, 6% merlot, and 2% malbec. Best after 2026.

The 2021 Private Reserve is the most refined of the 2021s from Beringer. The aromatics alone are so alluring. There's 12% Cabernet Franc in the blend this year, and that comes through loud and clear. Crushed flowers, espresso, mint, licorice and red/purplish fruit all grace this silky, super-polished offering.

(96+ points) The flagship from Beringer, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve is from a mix of sites and is based on 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot, 2% Malbec brought up all in barrel. Its deep ruby/plum hue is followed by rock-solid aromatics of darker currants, chocolate, leafy herbs, and lead pencil shavings. It's a classic 2021 on the palate and has a more inward, concentrated mouthfeel, ripe yet building tannins, ample mid-palate depth, and a great finish. It's holding things relatively close to its vest at the moment, yet it clearly has potential. Hide bottles for 4-5 years if you can, and it's going to have well over two decades of prime drinking.