J.H. Wheeler Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville 2017

J.H. Wheeler is the newly reinvented label from the Araujo family, most famously the former proprietors of Araujo Estate Wines and the Eisele Vineyard.  After Bart and Daphne decided to sell their esteemed estate in 2012 to Château Latour, they realized they still wanted to remain active in the world of wine.  The two envisioned building a 'perfect' place for crafting world-class Napa Valley wines in a traditional agricultural setting.  Enter Chapter Two for the Araujo family and their dedicated team that followed them from their prior estate.  In 2014, Bart and Daphne acquired a historic property on Zinfandel Lane in southern Saint Helena.  Three years later, they opened their doors with a focus on making wines of balance with meticulous attention to detail, the same as they had in their earlier era.  But these offerings also draw inspiration from the classic Napa Valley wines from the 1950s, '60s, and '70s. 

Wheeler Farms Winery was first established in 1880 by Charles Wheeler, who built the original winery at the northeast corner of Highway 29 and Zinfandel Lane.  The bountiful Wheeler family property included fruit and nut orchards in addition to grapevines.  Charles' son, John (J.H.) Wheeler was an early and creative pioneer of viticulture and winemaking in the valley.  Continuing the Wheeler legacy, Bart and Daphne constructed a new winery down the road from the original on a parcel that had been in the Wheeler family since 1894.  Building on the technological advances that J.H. Wheeler made, the Araujos and their winemaker Nigel Kinsman designed a state-of-the-art winery and hospitality space.  The new facilities house their brands J.H. Wheeler and Accendo and other ACME favorites, including Vice Versa, Grazie a Voi, and TOR. 

To achieve their goal of crafting world-class Napa Valley wines, the Araujos knew that meant sourcing the best fruit, and often in Napa, you'll be working with Andy Beckstoffer's iconic vineyards.  Missouri Hopper lays on the edge of the town of Yountville, just over the AVA border from Oakville.  The history lesson continues here as the vineyard was part of the original parcel granted to George C. Yount (the namesake of the nearby town).  In 1877, Charles Hopper purchased the land (planted to vineyards, prunes, and walnuts) as a gift for his daughter, Missouri.  Andy Beckstoffer acquired the 46-acre property in 1996 and has farmed the Cabernet Sauvignon vines ever since.  Nigel noted his fascination with Missouri Hopper is the advantageous elements of nature on this historic piece of land.  Due to intense sun exposure for much of the day, the vines grow a dense, intertwined canopy.  One might wonder how the grapes could succeed with such a thick covering.  Luckily, shale fragments and obsidian chunks pepper the soil, soaking up the sunlight and radiating the heat to the grapes, allowing them to ripen evenly without scorching.

The 2017 Missouri Hopper is the debut release of this single vineyard bottling from J.H. Wheeler.  After harvest in October, the wine aged in a blend of French oak (68% new and 32% neutral) over 21 months.  It is a complex, rich Cabernet with fine dusty tannins and mouthwatering freshness.  Dark stone fruits, cocoa powder, and violet aromas on the nose lead into cedar, tobacco, and black currants notes on the palate.  Care for a glimpse of Napa's storied history?  Open a J.H. Wheeler 2017 Missouri Hopper bottle and take a trip back in time.