Overview: Located north of the town of Yountville in the Oakville AVA, Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper was originally part of a large piece of land owned by George C. Yount, from whom the town of Yountville takes its name. Purchased by Charles Hopper and given to his daughter Missouri in 1877, the land was planted to wine grapes and other fruit. Owned by Beckstoffer Vineyards since 1996, the vineyard is today planted with multiple clones of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, including clones 4 and 337 with rootstocks 101-14 and 3309 which are used for this Cabernet Sauvignon.Grapes are hand-harvested, destemmed, and hand-sorted. A cold soak for three to five days is followed by approximately 14 days of fermentation with three daily pumpovers. Fermented to dry on skins with an additional 7 to 14 days extended maceration. Drained, pressed, and transferred to French oak barrels for malolactic fermentation and ageing. The wine is aged for 22 months in 50% new French oak.Tasting Notes: A full-bodied wine with a firm backbone of fine grainy tannins. Aromas of graphite, garrigue, tobacco leaf and cedar chest intermingle with flavors of red cherry, black currant and plum, along with notes of crème de cassis, dark chocolate, licorice and dried herbs. Concentrated yet elegantly balanced, with good acidity and stacked layers of complex flavors leading to a long, savory finish.Pairing:Beef and venisonPoints:95, Wine EnthusiastFormat/ABV: 750 ml/14.50%In certain circumstances, a specific vintage may not be available. If this is the case, a comparable vintage of the same wine will be substituted for online orders. If shopping in store, please check the bottle for the appropriate vintage. If you have a question about a specific vintage that is in stock, please email [email protected]