Beringer, Bancroft Ranch Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain

Purchased upon release through winery club. Still quite a dark purple color. Nose is filled with cherries, stewed plums, tobacco, forest floor, graphite, and baking spices. I don't remember previous bottles of this wine to be so aromatic. In the mouth, the wine is velvet smooth and slightly creamy. A sharp burst of black cherry fruit hits first followed by red plum, black raspberry, black currant, and faint pomegranate fruit. Mid-palate shows some black tea leaf, faint cedar, and some …

2007 vintage

Has matured well. A mixture of blackcurrant fruit, coffee and tobacco leaves. Still has a Cab Franc edge. Drinking well now, but could go longer (for my tastes).

2007 vintage

Woodward Road Trip!; 8/16/2025-8/23/2025 (Start in Eugene, 8/16-17 and end in Sunriver 8/21-23) : Decanted and followed for 3+ hours. Perhaps WOTN and week. This bottle was just en pointe with rich black fruit, plums, stone, mocha, loam, and oak. Velvet on the palate. Resolved. Now-2027.

2007 vintage

Faded black cherry fruit mixed with more prominent tobacco, loom, and cedar. Good, but not memorable.This bottle was mature and likely better a few years ago. Drink now-2025.

2007 vintage

Nez de cerises, tabac à pipe, menthol. Tanins soyeux, le vin montre une belle évolution et développe de fines notes mentholées, avec un excellent équilibre. C’est long et savoureux. Excellent cab de Napa. 92 pts

2007 vintage

Deep dark center, red rim with some purple and a little sign of age. Coffee, plums, cassis and a little soap. Smooth, chocolate and coffee (quite Cab Franc like), slightly underripe damsons, caramel, significant tannin and acidity still, alcohol is a little prominent, toasty oak, long finish. Some evolution over the last 2 years, not sure where this is going to go, fruit feels a little muddled and the acidity is still high. Hold off on remaining bottles for a …

2007 vintage

Lovely, well aged Cab. Nice complexity. Very smooth.

2007 vintage

Absolutely delicious. Perfect balance of smooth and supple tannin structure with the depth and complexity that comes with a properly aged California Cabernet. Absolutely loved this bottle. First one in a while of a case. Had creme de cassis some blackberry and just a hint of raspberry and blueberry notes. Down to five remaining bottles. Hope to revisit another bottle sometime soon as this really went well with the steak I paired with it (filet) at Sear Steakhouse in Solvang.

2007 vintage

Oak in reasonable check. Well balanced. Good integration and fruit holding up well.

2007 vintage

I got this as a present from a colleague and I was wondering if the bottle was kept under good conditions for the last decade. I was pleasantly surprised when I open the bottle. Perfect cork, as if it was new! The wine is still developing and if you have a bottle, there's no rush to open this wine. I'd say you can easily keep it 3-5 more years. Starting to see little signs of evolution on the rim with …

2007 vintage

Deep dark center, red rim with some signs of age. Sweet, smokey, cassis and blackberries, polished, some alcohol. Smooth, then dry black cherries and oak smoked plums, significant tannin and acidity, rosemary and oregano, a little vegetal, quite sappy, more cassis on the finish, which is long. Excellent Cabernet, complex fruit and great structure. For me this is too young and needs another 5 years (or a very long decant).

2007 vintage

Delicious

2007 vintage

A 94 without even batting an eye. Dark black roasted fruit and blueberry pie with a hint of baking chocolate and spice. Full bodied from start to finish. Acidity has tamed. Didn't finish the bottle on night 1 and took a chance on night 2. Even better. This wine showed a tobacco leaf and cherry cordial and nutty character in the middle to the finish on night 2. Would have given this a 92 or 93 had I finished the …

2007 vintage

Apppearance: Clear, deep intensity, ruby color. Nose: clean, medium intensity. Aroma and flavor characteristics: dark plum, blackberry, black cherry, peppercorn, black licorice, cloves, tobacco, coffee, Cedar Still developing. Palate: dry, medium plus acidity, medium tenants, medium plus alcohol, medium plus body, pronounced flavor intensity. Find grain tannins, balanced. Long finish. Conclusion: very good quality. Drink now or suitable for further aging.

2007 vintage

Fantastic wine/bottle Perfectly aged CA Cabernet. Nose was effusive and still energetic with red fruit, strong pencil lead, tobacco, and some faint oak spice. There was layers of red fruit- plum, cassis, cherry, faint cranberry and pomegranate. Mid-palette showed tobacco, earth, faint minerals along with red fruit with a very silky long finish of similar flavors. Perfectly balanced with moderate acidity keeping the wine fresh. Tannins mostly resolved and wine is in peak drinking window, but will hold for many …

2005 vintage

Paired with a variety of pizzas and never regretted it. Some might call Beringer pedestrian, but there is not a thing run-of-the-mill about this Howell Mountain single vineyard beauty. The high-elevation fruit gives the dark red flavors and lush mouthfeel just the right acidic edge. Loved everything about this wine.

2007 vintage

Dark plum in the glass. Aromatically presents ripe notes of cassis, leather, and faint mint. On the palate thick cassis, boysenberry, polished tannin, and a smooth clean finish. Reminded me of a plump young WA cabernet. Would have scored higher with greater complexity. Overall a fine wine though overpriced for the experience.

2007 vintage

Decanted for an hour then back in the bottle, dark ruby, just beginning to develop tertiary characteristics, with cherry & a touch of both leather & tobacco, mod. tannins, med. finish; very good & excellent with porcini dusted filet, still young & would wait if I had more, purchased at Beringer on release at a visit a few years ago

2007 vintage

This was exactly as I expected. Pleasant berry aromas, medium bodied, medium ruby color, creme de cassis flavors, integrated tannins and oak, elegant feel to this wine. The finish is relatively sweet in a Beringer kind of way. In its drinking window now.

2007 vintage

Significantly better than the last bottle of this that I opened. Nicely balanced with great fruit. Wish I had a few more bottles!

2007 vintage

A rich, layered, and dark Cabernet that is just entering its drinking window. Dark purple in color, medium in body, nose of wild blueberries, licorice, and herbs. Tastes of black cherry, raspberry, pencil lead, and burnt wood, with a well-integrated finish. 14.6% alcohol. Impressive that this is 100% Cabernet, since it has a softness of Merlot and the spice of Cabernet Franc. Faded on second day.

2007 vintage

Lots of cherry and cassis fruit backed by vibrant acidity with spicy oak emerging on the long finish. Excellent concentration and balance, tannins mostly integrated and are not obtrusive. This bottle tasted young, could have lasted another decade for sure. Probably more room for development, drink now to 2025.

2007 vintage

Opened and consumed within 2 hours. No real changes in notes over that time other than an increasing peppery finish. Aroma of cedar, tar and black cherries. Flavors of black berries, lead pencil, and prunes. The finish is fairly long with lingering flavors of black cherry, sherry and a hint of marichino cherry. A generally sweet finish. I think this is a really well produced wine which exceeds the flavors and aromas of th Private Reserve. Many years left for …

2007 vintage

Decanted three hours. Aromatic nose, rich, elegant and full bodied.

2007 vintage

Did not decant for long , drank earlier than I should have but still shined bright . Great bottle that should be held for a few more years . This has the staying power and be thankful if you have some . Enjoy !

2007 vintage

Big Body Cab, Lots of complexity and structure. Very nice!

2005 vintage

Smokey aromas along with red fruit, this bottle showed well, black cherry, black raspberry, and cassis along with oak notes. Some slight earthy elements emerged on the medium finish that was smooth and balanced with well behaved tannins. Overall, still seemed a bit primary and young, but certainly drinkable with air. I'll wait a few more years on my remaining bottles.

2007 vintage

Just still so what Behringer used to be

2005 vintage

Beautiful- really rich and complex. Perfect age- still has lots of backbone, but has nice finess now too.

2005 vintage

Nose is elegant smoke and raspberry. Good body, has aged well. Tasted at the winery tasting room.

2005 vintage

Dark fruit, blackberries, cherries, hints of chocolate, spice, cassis, tobacco and supple oak on the finish.

2005 vintage

Dusty color. Really like the nose. Floral, dusty berry, some green notes. Dry rustic fruit, mature wine on the P&P. Tobacco thing, black tea. Needs some air to weight. Let's see.

2005 vintage

Dark fruit, blackberries, cherries, spice cassis, tobacco and smokey oak on the finish. Supple mouthfeel and delicate tannins to balance the wine. A-

2005 vintage

Interesting experience; first taste was amazing -- power, balance, flavor and finish; after an hour the taste had flattened; still good but much less interest.

2005 vintage

Trip to Napa/Sonoma; 11/7/2009-11/14/2009 (Napa/Sonoma) : Shy nose with a little pepper and spice. Red fruits on the palate, very structured with mocha and cedar notes. Seemed to have a strong cedar/oak influence with the fruit hiding. A little backward and not terribly enjoyable at this stage, but well made.

2005 vintage

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Beringer, Bancroft Ranch Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain

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