2023 Janzen Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

This historic vineyard is located on the Valley floor at the southern boundary of the Oakville AVA. The light gravelly loam is absolutely perfect for growing premium, world class Cabernet. 2023 blessed us with what will surely become one of our most celebrated vintages. Napa Valley experienced its longest growing season in over a decade, with mild, consistent temperatures that allowed for extended hang time and generous yields. Generous aromatics of crème de cassis, black cherry, graphite, sweet tobacco, and subtle clove and vanillin are released at first swirl. Explosive black and red fruit envelop the palate with aromatic notes of tar, tobacco and cassis. This wine is incredibly dense and decadent, yet already showing remarkable balance. We believe this vintage of Missouri Hopper will age for another 20+years. Decanter.com, Rating: 96 Sourced from the Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper vineyard in Oakville. Aged 28 months in 100% new French oak. Mostly in Taransaud barrels, for winemaker Kirk Venge, lends a pretty maple note. This is a wonderfully dark-fruited wine with lifted cedarwood notes tinged with caramel and toffee spices with hints of graham cracker crust. The tannins take on a sappy quality but are super fine-grained. For Venge's approach, oak is very important in the tannins it delivers. In these Beckstoffer Heritage Vineyards, the tannins back up the fruit's intensity and deliver it towards a lengthy finish. The oak will integrate with time, and I'd suggest not touching these until late 2025. - Jonathan Cristaldi Consulting Winemaker and Viticulturalist: Kirk Venge Proprietors: The Janzen Family Click here to download the 2023 Janzen Missouri Hopper Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon tasting notes.