Founders' Estate Merlot
⏳ Drinking Window
2023 - 2027
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Grilled pork chops, classic spaghetti bolognese, and roasted duck.
✨ Technical Specifications
The Beringer Founders' Estate Merlot is a tribute to the pioneering spirit of brothers Jacob and Frederick Beringer, who established the historic estate in 1876. Sourced from select vineyards across California's renowned growing regions, this wine benefits from a climate of warm, sunny days tempered by cool evening breezes, which allows the Merlot grapes to ripen fully while retaining balanced acidity. Typically crafted as a fruit-forward expression, the blend is predominantly Merlot, often enhanced with small percentages of other red varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah to add structure and color. It undergoes careful fermentation and moderate aging in seasoned oak barrels, resulting in a plush, approachable wine that showcases classic notes of black cherry, dark plum, and a hint of baking spice, reflecting Beringer's long-standing legacy of crafting accessible, high-quality California wines.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1876 by brothers Jacob and Frederick Beringer, Beringer Vineyards holds the distinction of being California's oldest continuously operating winery, situated in the heart of St. Helena in Napa Valley. Pioneers of early Napa winemaking, the Beringer brothers engineered hand-dug limestone caves and gravity-fed cellars to craft refined, ageworthy wines. Today, owned by Treasury Wine Estates, the historic estate maintains an uncompromising dedication to site-specific viticulture across prime Napa Valley and Knights Valley terroirs. Beringer is internationally celebrated for its flagship Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, alongside complex single-vineyard expressions and botrytized dessert wines like Nightingale.