Winemaker Notes
This wine opens up with a gorgeous nose of black licorice and nutmeg; you might even get a hint of freshly split vanilla bean. With a great acidity and soft approach, this Cabernet Sauvignon takes you on a journey through dark fruits and earthy notes. Plum and fennel are persistent throughout, however as you continue you’ll be able to pick up the flavors of roasted mushrooms, soy, and dried cherries.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A terrific value in the overheated realm of Napa Valley Cabernet, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon easily combines notes of Ribena and ripe cherries with hints of mocha. It's full-bodied but easygoing, not overdone, just harmonious and supple, with a soft dusting of fine-grained tannins on the finish, making it very drinkable.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2018 Hoopes Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is firm and well-built on the palate. TASTING NOTES: This wine offers aromas and flavors of fragrant spices, blackberries, and oaky notes. Try it with a grilled Porterhouse. (Tasted: June 27, 2023, San Francisco, CA)
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is a dead ringer for an outstanding Bordeaux and has lots of cedar pencil, leather, tobacco, and assorted dark fruits in its medium-bodied, fruit-forward, balanced, and charming profile. It's perfect for enjoying over the coming 5-7 years or so.
At Hoopes Family Vineyard and Winery, the love of wine and farming are priority number one. Family owned and operated, dedicated to crafting wines that seamlessly capture the relationship between grape-grower and winemaker. The wines marry old-world-farming and taste profiles with new-world fruit flavors and ripeness. Since 1999, the goal with the flagship Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon has been to capture the truest expression of the old-vine vineyard's terroir. Planted in 1983 by Spencer Hoopes, it was previously a fruit source for a number of famous estates until the winemaking began being done in house. When the second-generation Proprietor Lindsay Hoopes took the reins, she hired Heidi Barrett prodigy Anne Vawter as Winemaker. Anne broadened the scope to include very limited production Sauvignon Blanc, Rosé, Chardonnay, Syrah and Merlot, showcasing the diverse appellations of Napa Valley. Along with Dante’s Block, the Reserve Cabernet named after our beloved canine mascot, these boutique wines are only available direct from the winery.
One of the most prestigious wines of the world capable of great power and grace, Napa Valley Cabernet is a leading force in the world of fine, famous, collectible red wine. Today the Napa Valley and Cabernet Sauvignon are so intrinsically linked that it is difficult to discuss one without the other. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that this marriage came to light; sudden international recognition rained upon Napa with the victory of the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1976 Judgement of Paris.
Cabernet Sauvignon undoubtedly dominates Napa Valley today, covering half of the land under vine, commanding the highest prices per ton and earning the most critical acclaim. Cabernet Sauvignon’s structure, acidity, capacity to thrive in multiple environs and ability to express nuances of vintage make it perfect for Napa Valley where incredible soil and geographical diversity are found and the climate is perfect for grape growing. Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that express specific characteristics based on situation, slope and soil—as a perfect example, Rutherford’s famous dust or Stags Leap District's tart cherry flavors.