2019 Janzen 'Beckstoffer Missouri-Hopper' Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Richness and concentration are dominate descriptors for the 2019 vintage of Missouri Hopper. The 2019 vintage features a beautiful purple hue, with aromatic notes of scorched earth, clove and cassis. The palate is expansive and full bodied, with dark fruits and a balanced acidity and minerality. The rich mouthfeel and long tannin filled finish will leave you tasting this wine long after the bottle is finished.
Claus Janzen doesn't shy away from taking the road less traveled. He originally made his mark on the local wine scene with the wholly unique "Bacio Divino," arguably Napa's most successful Tuscan-inspired red. When he moved that project into the world of Cabernet, he did so with the philosophy that it would be the vineyards rather than the blend that would drive the program's success. So, like many other notable Cabernet producers, Claus turned to vine guru Andy Beckstoffer for fruit, and the rest as they say, is history. With the help of lauded winemaker Kirk Venge, he has created a range of Napa Cabernets with completely unique personalities, and the critics have taken note. He's even dialed in a sensational Pinot Noir from a serious vineyard down south. Some of our favorite wines year in and year out, you'd be wise to pay attention to this lauded producer.
Jeb Dunnuck
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Janzen Missouri Hopper Vineyard is also 100% varietal and comes from a great site located on the western side of the valley, in the Oakville AVA. It's a more black/blue-fruited beauty with tons of spicy, incense, lead pencil, and chocolaty goodness on the nose. These carry to a full-bodied Cabernet with terrific balance, building tannins, and an almost Graves-like sense of scorched earth and roasted herbs that emerges with time in the glass. It's another gorgeous wine from this label. It needs 2-4 years of bottle age and will cruise over the following 10-15.