Beringer continues to do everything right. Its staff of talented professionals may rank as the best in the business. Beringer's Merlot from the Bancroft Vineyard on Howell Mountain is one of the top three or four California Merlots. The nearly outstanding 1989 Merlot-Bancroft Vineyard is a big, rich, chocolatey, toffee-scented wine that displays considerable evidence of aging in toasty new oak. A full-bodied, fleshy wine, it is a terrific example from this irregular vintage. It matches the intensity of the 1990. Beringer possesses some experimental batches of wine that are not likely to be released outside the winery. However, given the quality of such wines as their 1992 Pinot Blanc, 1992 Melon, 1992 Pinot Gris, 1992 Auxerrois, and 1992 Viogner, they are breaking new ground in California. Moreover, prices are reasonable.