Red Wine Hoopes Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2016. Spencer Hoopes founded his namesake winery in 1983 after a chance invitation to a wine tasting in San Francisco sparked a passion for winemaking. Having grown up on a farm in southeastern Arizona Spencer was well suited to make the transition to growing grapes, and he began his new venture by planting 10 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon vines in Oakville. Today Hoopes Vineyard is a thriving family-owned Napa winery which is still run by Spencer along with his daughter, Lindsay. Their Napa Valley Cabernet is an authentic expression of the region’s diverse terroir, incorporating fruit from a variety of different microclimates and soil types to paint a complex picture of this exceptional winemaking land. Rich red cherries, blackberries and cassis immediately burst out of the glass while the first sip reveals a robust full body, firm tannins and a well-built structure which will respond well to additional time in the cellar. Fruit forward in character with plenty of cigar box spice, bitter chocolate and licorice notes on the long finish, this makes a great match for barbecued meats, steak, or a hearty bowl of fresh pasta served with a rich beef or game ragu sauce.
2016
Red Wine Hoopes Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
Red Wine Hoopla California Cabernet Sauvignon 2016. Spencer Hoopes grew up on a farm in southeastern Arizona and only became interested in wine following a chance invite to a wine tasting in San Francisco. With his farming background it was not long before he tried his hand at planting 10 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon vines in Oakville. Since 1983 when the initial vines were planted Hoopes Vineyard has blossomed into a thriving Napa winery under the watchful eye of Spencer and his daughter, Lindsay. In recent years the family have created a brand-new label, Hoopla, inspired by their love for the canine companions that live and work alongside them. Their Hoopla California Cabernet is made in honour of Dante, the small terroir who was Spencer’s loyal friend for many years.
2016
Red Wine Charles Smith K Vintners Motor City Kitty Syrah 2016. Charles Smith grew up just outside Sacramento in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and carved out a career travelling the world and managing rock bands. This work took him all over Europe where he fell in love with fine wine, a passion that later drove him to teach himself how to make wine and eventually found his own winery. Smith started making wines under his own label in 2001 when he released a batch of just 300 cases crafted from top quality Washington State fruit. He’s since been named Winemaker of the Year by Food & Wine magazine, Seattle Magazine and Wine Enthusiast. Named after Smith’s pet cat, this punchy Syrah shows off Smith’s typical winemaking style with luscious dark fruit, smooth tannins and a generous and powerful full body. The fruit for this bottling is sourced from the Oldfield and Boushey Vineyards in the Yakima Valley and fermented using wild yeasts in concrete tanks. The young wine is then matured in French oak barrels for 19 months before bottling. This extended maturation adds deep and complex hints of spice, smoked meat, and earth to the rich dark cherry, blackberry and cassis flavours. A fantastic wine to pair with hearty red meat dishes like barbecued ribs or steak, or to keep in the cellar for another decade or so.
2016