Beringer’s 2024 Private Reserve Chardonnay is a Napa Valley bottling built around fruit from Gamble Ranch in Oakville (with a small portion from Big Ranch in Oak Knoll). It’s 100% Chardonnay, clocking in at 14.5% alcohol, and it’s made in a clearly intentioned, classic Private Reserve style: barrel-fermented and aged nine months in French oak, half of it new, with regular lees stirring. The winery reports that about 95% of the wine went through malolactic fermentation, reinforcing the expectation of a rounded, layered texture.

The critical reception is notably strong, led by an excellent 96-point review from James Suckling. He calls it “a vivid intensity balanced with freshness and just the right influence of oak,” highlighting aromas of “preserved lemons, salted caramel, orange blossoms, lanolin and spices.” Suckling also emphasizes structure as much as richness, describing a palate that’s “tightly wound,” with “mouthwatering acidity” and “a lovely texture,” and he notes that it’s suitable to “drink or hold.”

Wine Spectator’s MaryAnn Worobiec scores it 92 points and frames it as more overtly generous, writing that it’s “succulent,” with a “bright expression of orange blossom, lemon curd, dried mango and tangerine…as well as a touch of pineapple.” She adds the kinds of barrel and savory details that define the house style here—“graham cracker, spices and toasted sesame seed, plus a sprinkle of sea salt and a lemon balm accent”—and says it “gains momentum…on the long finish.”

While the wine is clearly approachable for its ripe citrus and tropical tones, it’s also built to age. Wine Spectator recommends drinking it “now through 2039,” and reports production at 11,600 cases.