“Fat, fair and forty were all the toasts of the young men,” John O’Keefe, 1747-1833, The Irish Mimic; or Blunders at Brighton (1795).
In Part 1, I enthused about the historically quaint Beringer winery, pregnant with charm and quality, especially for the very reasonable prices of its California Collection. I next examined a variety of Beringer’s Beauties, which tend to be a tad more costly but still present quite pleasant quality. This gaggle of goodies was all quite excellent.
And now, on to the tasting, using my usual “A”-“F” grading system, however subjective:
1. 2007 Beringer Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley, $10.99: Clear white with medium body. Its nose was lightly fruity and grassy with some intriguing spice. In the mouth, it skipped around gaily with light fruit, delicate acid and pleasing depth. Clean finish. B
2. 2008 Beringer Chardonnay, Napa Valley Vineyards, $10.99: Vanilla tinge with heavy body, moving into a nose with pleasant notes of butterscotch. On the palate, it strutted some complex notes of toasty oak with some nice complexity, again under laid with a whisper of butterscotch. Clean finish. B+
3. 2008 Beringer Founders’ Estate Merlot, Calif., $6.99-$8.99: Raspberry-ruby robe (alliteration rules). Medium body with a medium-intense nose of complex wild berries. In the mouth, it showed a racy fruitiness not unlike many other well-made Merlots that I’ve tried, moving into a complex, pleasant finish with a hint of dancing sweetness. A-
4. 2008 Beringer Founders’ Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Calif., $6.99-$8.99: Deep ruby color with heavy body. The nose was intense and broodingly fruity begging for a bit more air time. Big in the mouth with lots of fruit and deep intensity. B+
5. 2007 Beringer Pinot Noir, Napa Valley, $18.99. Medium ruby color with medium to heavy body. The nose was pregnant with plums, leather and cherry with nice depth. In the mouth, it displayed nice, deep fruit, then tactfully eased into a clean, pleasant finish. A-
6. 2007 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon, Knights Valley, Napa, $19.99: Moody, brooding, deep purple color with medium-to-heavy body. Intense, deep, complex nose with strong notes of black cherry. With its deeply fruity middle and long finish, it easily clinched the No. 1 spot. A
Today’s clear winner was the Knights Valley Cabernet, closely followed by the Pinot Noir.
To me, Beringer’s Founders’ Estate wines easily captured the Price/Value flag.
My coverage of Beringer in both Part 1 and Part 2 demonstrated that this Napa outfit is alive and kicking. Great job, Beringer – cheers to you!
