Another remarkable bargain is the 45,000-case cuvee of 2007 Chardonnay Napa. It exhibits crisp notes of pineapples and oranges, zesty acidity, little oak, and a fresh, medium-bodied finish. Readers looking for more smoke and roasted nut characteristics in a bigger, fuller-bodied style should seek out the 2007 Chardonnay Private Reserve and 2007 Chardonnay Sbragia Limited Release. Beringer continues to turn out an impressive array of wines, proving that a gigantic global operation can be focused on quality and character. Beringer’s Pinot Noir program continues to show more and more promise. Beringer’s Cabernet Sauvignon program includes two outstanding bargains, one from Knight’s Valley and one from Napa. They are both serious Cabernet Sauvignons meant to be drunk young, but both are capable of lasting a decade or more. For their Private Club members, Beringer offers approximately 200 cases of all the single vineyards that go into their Private Reserve cuvee. I’ll keep my tasting notes brief since these wines are only available to Private Club members. However, it is always interesting that, aside from two or three of the single vineyards, the Private Reserve final blend is always the finest wine of the group. This has been proven time and time again at these tastings. Tel. (707) 963-7115; Fax (707) 963-1735