John Sweeney, JJ Buckley, August 2011

Brilliant ruby at the core with a dark scarlet rim. This boasts a glorious nose of milk chocolate, cherry, baking spice and a touch of vanilla. The palate has layers of red fruit, crushed rock and a nicely integrated tannin structure. This is reminiscent of a well-made Pomerol with its complexity and terrific length. This is not your typical merlot but a tremendous wine with incredible pedigree. Give this a hour or two of air to fully express its nuances and you will be shocked at how good this is.

90 points,

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, December 2008

The outstanding 2005 Merlot Bancroft Ranch represents Merlot at its finest. Sexy, chocolaty, black cherry and berry fruit intermix with loamy soil and coffee bean nuances, and are impressively presented in this full-bodied, attractive, elegant Merlot. It should drink nicely for a decade or more.

90 points,

Stephen Tanzer's IWC, June 2009

($75) Good red-ruby. Very ripe aromas of plum, cinnamon, cedar and mocha. Creamy-sweet and lush, with good depth to the plum and graphite flavors. Finishes with big, slightly rough tannins that reach the molars. From vines replanted in 1993.

94 points,

Wine Enthusiast, May 2009

Gigantic, huge. Just erupts with the most intense cassis, chocolate and smoky new oak. Classic Howell Mountain structure, with dense, sweet young tannins and firm acidity. So immature, it's sappy and jammy now, and is sorely in need of cellaring. Don't touch before 2011, and should provide enjoyment for many years after. - S.H.

93 points,

Wine Spectator, November 2009

Plush, refined and impeccably structured. Offers bold aromas of black cherry, bittersweet chocolate and toasty cedar, with rich, complex red currant, licorice and mineral flavors that finish with a flourish of ripe tannins. Drink now through 2015. 3,700 cases made. -TF

About Winery

Beringer Vineyards is the oldest continuously operating winery in the Napa Valley. In 2001, the estate was placed on the National Register for Historic Places as a Historic District. Jacob Beringer's foresight in recognizing the quality and potential of grape growing in the Napa Valley is part of the living heritage of Beringer Vineyards . With the present use of state-of-the-art technology applied to age-old traditions, Beringer Vineyards' wines continue to reflect a single-minded dedication to the making of memorable wines from great Napa Valley vineyards.

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