Winemaker Notes
A gorgeous full nose of fresh blackberry, cherry and warm black olive washed with hints of vanilla bean emulate the younger vine blocks that constitute 60% of this wine. A sweet and sour palate promotes refreshing acidity, sweet dark cherry juice, iron and cassis. The 40% of older 30-year vines add savory herbs, cola nut, coco powder and baking spice that live long through a powdery and chewy finish.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
From a cooler site in Oakville, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Missouri Hopper Vineyard offers a huge, sweet, straight up gorgeous bouquet of crème de cassis, caramelized black cherries, lead pencil, spring flowers and white chocolate. Rich, opulent and concentrated on the palate, yet also elegant and seamless, it has fine, fine tannin, the purity and freshness of the vintage, and a great finish. Give bottles a few years and enjoy over the following two decades.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Very deep purple-black colored, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Missouri Hopper Vineyard delivers intense cassis and wild blueberries with touches of garrigue, Provence herbs and chocolate box, plus a waft of cloves. Medium to full-bodied, rich, opulent and very spicy in the mouth, it features velvety tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and earthy.
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James Suckling
Lots of cherry notes with a sweet and sour undertone. Full body, juicy and intense. Seaweed character. Tangy and delicious. Needs a year or two to come together.
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Wine Enthusiast
Reductive with burly bold flavors of diesel and tar, this vineyard-designate from the southern end of the appellation is oaky, broad and grippy. Black fruit takes on a juicy undertone midway on the palate as tobacco, pencil and turned earth challenge in savory power. Enjoy 2025–2035.
Cellar Selection -
Vinous
The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Missouri Hopper offers notable density. Dark-toned fruit, worn-in leather, chocolate and brown spice are suggestive of a fully mature wine. Expressive floral top notes extend the finale, adding a touch of lift. Any remaining bottles need to be finished over the next few years at most.
Over thirty years in the making, Amici Cellars is a blend of the old and the new. Preserving its legacy and producing wines of exceptional character is the unwavering commitment of proprietors John Harris and Bob Shepard, who attribute success in large part to the age-old adage “nothing replaces hard work,” but also their intuition and ability to capture the most significant opportunity in a decisive moment.
The turning point was 2009, when after more than 15 years of making wine as a passion project with modest distribution, the two friends fully committed to taking their adventure and turning it into a prestigious Napa Valley winemaking estate. The United States was facing the biggest economic downturn since the 1930s, costly Cabernets no longer flying off shelves, but John and Bob have always trusted in their intuition and a core belief - bottle beautiful, high quality wines that are accessible to enjoy every day and for age-worthy collections.
They have decidedly chosen a talented team, seasoned winemaker Tony Biagi, a Napa Valley veteran with more than 25-years-experience, and associate winemaker Dante West, a rising star whose energy matches his true-to-varietal wines. Together they bring decades of relationships with outstanding growers in the field that, combined with their craftsmanship, creates the best possible capsule of each vineyard site, a combination of the soil, climate and people who farm it.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
Home to some of the most sought-after Cabernet Sauvignon in America, Napa Valley’s Oakville district stretches across the center of Napa's valley floor and foothills between the Vaca and Mayacamas Mountains. This AVA is home to the legendary To Kalon Vineyard and Martha's Vineyard, as well as many powerhouse wineries including Screaming Eagle, Silver Oak, Robert Mondavi, Opus One, Far Niente and Groth.
The climate is generally warm and agreeable, resulting in year after year of favorable vintages. Summer days see a gentle tug of war between warmer inland air and the cool air coming in from the San Pablo Bay, creating an ideal environment to grow red varieties. Oakville's diverse soils, namely ancient sea bedrock, clay and gravel, are well-drained, and perfect for high-caliber viticulture.
Cabernet here is often bottled varietally but is also popular in Bordeaux Blends. Oakville wines are known for their silky, sensual textures, structured tannins, dark and brooding fruit and lovely aromatics. These age-worthy and prestigious wines are favored by collectors throughout the world.