Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

Professional Ratings

• 95 Decanter
  Rating: 95+
• 92 Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
  The gold standard, there is little doubt that Beringer's Private Reserve Cabernet is one of the world's most serious and glamorous wines. Always considered a front-running in vying for "Best Cabernet of the Year," the 2011 is pretty remarkable given the difficult growing season. This wine shows wonderfully balanced flavors of red and black fruit with a few savory herbs thrown in. Nicely structured with pure varietal flavors. (Tasted: April 13, 2015, San Francisco, CA)
• 91 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
  The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve is from only two sources (somewhat unusual), the Steinhauer Vineyard on Howell Mountain (71%) and the St. Helena Home Vineyard (29%). It achieved 14.7% natural alcohol and a relatively high pH of 3.9, which suggests plenty of ripeness, no doubt from the Howell Mountain component. Aged 18 months in new French oak and 12 months in the bottle before being released, this beautiful Cabernet demonstrates the commitment to quality that exists at Beringer despite its colossal size. The 2011 exhibits a deep ruby/purple color along with a sweet bouquet of chocolate, red and black currants, graphite and spring flowers. Ripe and medium-bodied with gorgeous fruit, and no astringency or herbaceousness, this is a lovely, soft, round, juicy wine to drink over the next decade.