Beringer Private Reserve Chardonnay 2022
(Napa Valley, California) - [JS 96] [VM 94] [JD 94] [WA 93]

Notes from the Winemaker:
The first half of the 2022 harvest started calm and early, with healthy vineyards offering fruit with bright acidity, fruit-forward flavors, and strong yields for white varietals and thin-skinned reds, like Pinot Noir. Then, California experienced a historic heat wave in early September that ramped up the pace of ripening, compelling a fast and furious harvest as winemakers worked to pick fruit at its best quality. Fortunately, strong vines and proactive irrigation helped many vineyards survive the heat. The second half was much more predictable with cooler temperatures through October, so that later-ripening red varieties, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, could develop their full flavor and tannin profile. Grapes for this 2022 Private Reserve were picked between August 24 to September 16, 2022.

Vineyard:
Gamble Ranch is Beringer’s northernmost Chardonnay vineyard and has been the primary source for Private Reserve for decades. Located near the town of Yountville, in the Oakville AVA, daytime temperatures here slowly climb as the cooling morning fog recedes south to San Pablo Bay. This significant diurnal shift allows the grapes to maintain their acidity, which is essential to balancing the ripe, rich flavors as they develop during warm afternoons. Older vines, planted in 1976, featuring the Wente Clone 4, are predominant. For 2022, close to 25% of the blend was crafted from Big Ranch vineyard in Oak Knoll, which imparts a cooling influence being more centrally located within Napa Valley. Here the fruit retains more acidity and minerality, an influence from being closer to the San Pablo Bay. A higher selection of Burgundy clones also provides an elegant complexity and weight.