"Robert Parker, erobertparker.com 96/100 Wine Advocate #209 - Oct 2013
The 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve is built from completely different sources. Sixty-six percent came from the St. Helena Home Ranch, 18% from the Chabot Vineyard, and the rest from Beringer’s estates in St. Helena, Rutherford and Coombsville. It is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon that came in at 14.6% natural alcohol with a pH of 3.8. Perhaps the greatest Beringer Private Reserve since the 2007, 2005, 2002 and 2001, the 2010 offers up notes of lead pencil shavings, creme de cassis, subtle smoke, wet rocks and background oak. Full-bodied, rich and impressive, it can be drunk now or cellared for two decades.
Despite the enormity of this enterprise (multiple wineries and a global network), the flagship estate in northern California, Beringer Vineyards, continues to be in very capable winemaking hands, and the quality of the wines remains exceptionally impressive, particularly when you look at some of the huge production numbers of their lower priced offerings. The red wines currently in the market are from the challenging 2011 vintage. As for the Private Reserve Cabernets, production can vary significantly depending on the vintage, from around 8,000 cases to nearly twice that in an abundant year. As for the single vineyard wines, I will keep my notes short as these are only available to members of the Beringer Wine Club. I was surprised by how strongly all these 2011s performed, but three of the single vineyards are on Howell Mountain. These are all excellent wines, but it seems to me that the Private Reserve, a blend of the best lots from these sources, always turns out to be Beringer’s finest Cabernet Sauvignon."
96 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, October, 2013
"The 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve is built from completely different sources. Sixty-six percent came from the St. Helena Home Ranch, 18% from the Chabot Vineyard, and the rest from Beringer's estates in St. Helena, Rutherford and Coombsville. It is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon that came in at 14.6% natural alcohol with a pH of 3.8. Perhaps the greatest Beringer Private Reserve since the 2007, 2005, 2002 and 2001, the 2010 offers up notes of lead pencil shavings, creme de cassis, subtle smoke, wet rocks and background oak. Full-bodied, rich and impressive, it can be drunk now or cellared for two decades."
94 points Antonio Galloni, December, 2012
"A fabulous wine for the appellation, Beringer's 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Knights Valley boasts gorgeous integration of fruit, acidity and tannin. This is an especially silky, textured wine for Knights Valley. Blue and black fruit, grilled herbs, tobacco, sage and rosemary are all layered into this relatively succulent, round Cabernet Sauvignon. Sweet floral notes along with a hint of tar and violets add complexity on the finish. The 2010 is 96% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Cabernet Franc that spent 17 months in French oak barrels, 33% new. "
94 points Wine Spectator, October 2013
"A dense, rich and powerful expression of Cabernet, with loads of dark berry, loamy earth and crushed rock flavors that show pockets of black licorice, road tar and dried flowers, ending with rich, chewy tannins that give the lingering flavors traction. Should be long-lived. Best from 2015 through 2028."
