Medium gold color; pear, golden apple, pineapple, peach, Meyer lemon, butterscotch, mango, brioche, vanilla hint, oak, cream, minerality on the nose and palate.
Dry; faint tannins from new French oak; good acidity (3.48 pH). Medium-plus body, polished texture. Fruit mainly from Gamble Ranch (Wente Clone 4), 20% from Oak Knoll AVA (Burgundian clones). Grapes gently whole-cluster pressed, followed by 48-hour cold soak. Fermented in barrel using native yeast. Full malolactic fermentation/conversion. Aged 11 months in 60-80% new French, 20-30% second fill, remainder in neutral. Weekly bâtonnage for first six months, then every two weeks until bottling. Blending included 18% of the Gamble Ranch barrels and 22% of the Oak Knoll barrels; the remainder went into Berringer’s lower tier Napa Valley production. 15.1% ABV
This is an elegant, refined, restrained effort, not the over-oaked, buttery stereotype once common in big Napa chardonnays. Will work well as a food wine. Impressive attention to detail in winemaking techniques and blending prowess results in a classic, excellent effort.
Beringer prides itself on being California’s oldest continually operating winery. It began in 1875 when Jacob Beringer and his brother Frederick purchased land and became one of the first Napa Valley wineries. Beringer survived Prohibition by making sacramental wines for churches. At end of Prohibition, Beringer became the first winery to offer public tours, starting the Napa Valley tourism era.
In 1967, the 91-year-old Beringer Winery received State Historical Landmark designation. Five years later, the Rhine House on the property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1990, The Wine Spectator named Beginger’s cab the wine of the year, and six years later, a Beringer chardonnay took the same honor. Beringer is the only winemaker to have both a red and white named The Wine Spectator’s wine of the year. Ryan Rech is the winemaker today at Beringer. He joined Beringer in 2016 and became chief winemaker in 2021.
Beringer is a brand of Treasury Wine Estates, an Australian-based global winemaking and distribution operation that traces its roots to Penfolds Wine and Foster’s Group beer. Treasury is a major international player in the wine world, making wine in 12 countries, selling more than 35 million cases of wine a year, and generating more than $2 billion in sales.
Beringer Private Reserve Chardonnay, Napa Valley 2022 is outstanding, effort with subtle richness, wonderful fruit, respectful, restrained winemaking. Creamy mouthfeel, elegant oak framing. Beringer’s flagship chardonnay has been made since 1978, and this proves they have learned and refined along the way. This is just emerging into its best drinking years and is well worth finding.
With its opulence, high alcohol, acidity and glycerol-rich mouthfeel, food pairing with this wine can be both challenging and immensely rewarding. Pair with lobster trail, crab bisque, scallops seared in brown butter. Roasted chicken, porchetta-style pork belly. Lean red meats—venison medallions with blackberry gastrique. Sautéed mushrooms; sweet potato gratin with pecan streusel topping. Cheese—aged gouda, parmigiano-reggiano, brie de Meaux AOC, humboldt fog, gorgonzola dolce. $35-48
