The 2017 Napa Cab has this incredible juicy acidity that complements the fine-grained tannins through the finish. Aromas of Black Licorice, Spearmint, and Eucalyptus welcome you to the glass. As the wine continues to open, you will gather expressions of plum, juicy blueberries, and freshly brewed coffee. This wine introduces itself with notes of Root Beer, Vanilla Bean, and the earthiness of Forest Floor. The mid-palate gains impact and density leading you to a savory and fresh finish of coffee, leather, and porcini mushrooms. Already enjoyable now, this wine will carry on in its development for the next 15 years.
Vintage
2017 was the first post-drought vintage after a string of five dry years. Abundant winter rainfall led to strong growth in the vineyards. It was an ideal growing season up until we experienced some high heats in September. The full canopies of the vines were essential in providing shade for the fruit to fully ripen. Despite the dark cloud of the October fires this year, these grapes were harvested prior and are untouched by smoke. This vintage is a genuine and classic example of a beautiful and fair Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
Specs
Vintage: 2017
Varietal: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot
Appellation: Napa Valley
Barrels: 100% French, 45% New Barrel Aging: 28 Months
Spencer Hoopes loves wine and he also loves farming. What began as a passion for collecting wine and the land soon went beyond that. In 1983 Spencer planted his ten-acre vineyard in the Oakville AVA of Napa Valley. With the remarkable terroir, a little bit of luck, and a lot of love, we quickly found a home for the grapes in some of the better wineries in Napa Valley.
Fifteen years later, he decided to take some of those grapes off the market and put them into bottles with our name on the label. Spencer Hoopes had always loved aromatic wines with balance and structure, and he wanted to make that kind of wine with the grapes from his own vineyard. And so he launched Hoopes Cabernet.
Hoopes wines are classic cabs that capture the pure relationship between grape-grower and winemaker with an old-world-meets-new-world style profile. The philosophy is simple: minimize after-harvest manipulation of the grape so that you can enjoy the most important ingredient in its true form. This is true grower-made wine.
When Spencer Hoopes encouraged his daughter Lindsay to take over full management of the winery, she accepted, with a few conditions. The two now work together, sharing that vision of great cabernet sauvignon from the Napa Valley. And the working relationship is warm. “It is a privilege and an honor to help continue a family business that has been part of my life for as long as I can remember,” says Lindsay Hoopes.
Our philosophy is simple: we are who we say we are. We are Hoopes. We are authentic. We grow our grapes and we make our own wine. We steward the land because it is our legacy. Our wine tells our family story, and the story of all who help us craft the perfect bottle.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2017 Hoopes Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon - $36 = 9.0%
@chipgreen@shrimp74
Chip posts how much you are saving by purchasing a case, vs. whatever totals 12 bottles of of the smaller offer. Here that would be three offers, and the difference in the total cost between those and a single full case purchase.
Nothing to do with discount from winery/retail pricing.
@rjquillin@Winedavid49
I’m not sure if many caught 60 Minutes on CBS this past Sunday night, but they had 2 segments discussing the impact of warming climates on wine production and quality. Thought it was interesting.
@rjquillin@Winedavid49 Amazed that the wineries are able to produce at all! I vividly remember waking up on an early October day in 2017 to ash covering all the cars and a strong stench of smoke. The fires have come back worse every. single. year. We had to sell our home in Marin due to tax law changes and because fire insurance went from ~$2k/year to $20k/year. I can’t imagine the insurance premiums are that much different for our hard working friends in the wine business.
This bottle arrived about a week in advance, pre-holidays while UPS still had their extra troops hauling in rented box trucks. Score! A cab, and an unfamiliar one. The name did ring a small bell so curiosity drove me to search previous deals to see if this was one I’d skipped in the past. I came across a Hoop-LA cabernet, 2016, offered a few years ago in 2018 – which I did recall. At this point I wasn’t sure if they’d dropped the name or if this is more of a reserve that the slightly more no-nonsensy label seems to represent. Finding something of an outdated website for Hoopla with a purchase page that only says “We Hoopla Wines” just left me with more questions. Oh well, on to casemates offering eve.
The bottle had been patiently waiting out the holiday chaos in the closest I have to a wine cellar so at the moment of opening, I pointed the digital thermometer gun that came with the (ahem) hairless rat my partner came home with a month ago and got a reading of 64° – seems about right. The cork was a little more crept upon than I would have thought, but then again it occurred to me that 2017 is now about five years ago, wow.
Pouring into the glass, the color was like a mulberry purple. For some reason the close up pics of the glass didn’t capture what I saw as it came out more reddish, maybe from the lighting. The nose had something I couldn’t really identify, but intriguingly bold like a flower made of red fruit. The first sip seemed almost unmistakably cherry, some cranberry and rose petal, and still something else that seemed to lift it up. The acidity further makes the fruit stand out, but not with sweetness. Really good, but admittedly different than what I expect in a cabernet. My partner tasted and spotted vanilla, noting that she liked it a lot. Once she said that I started to pick it up with a bit of cedar as well.
The label reads that this was meant for foods (or specifically to compliment a wide variety) which I would not argue, but this stands on its own quite strongly. I tried it with bite of gouda I happened to have, and it was ok, cheese maybe got a little lost, so maybe something more hard or aged that I didn’t have would work better. Dinner was a local favorite burger with spicy bacon and as expected this did not disappoint. As time passed and I came back for another small glass (or two) I realized how much this reminded me of Onesta’s Cinsault which I believe is also is made to be versatile in its food pairing (although I was unlucky enough to miss it the last time it was offered). A few hours did allow for the wine to open up more as well. Maybe if I didn’t wait until the night of, I could have remarked on the second day but will just have to update later.
We liked this wine; it’s and it seems to have solid quality. I’m hoping to see Casemates pricing this $15-18 per bottle at the case price (although I could see this going for higher), and if so I’m definitely in. -Now that I’m seeing the $33 sticker I may have to think on it a bit as that’s little higher than my usual range (or I may need to start getting used to it haha) but I think the quality is there to support that cost. Thanks for the opportunity to try this amazing wine!
Just a half a day to 18 hours made quite a difference. I was puzzled when I read the description when it first came up but now the cherry is muted, the fruit is much darker with acidity smoothed out and I even get the eucalyptus/mint now as well. This one surely has time to grow in and out of the bottle.
@CObrent same for me, I’d like 3 or 4. If no one else has any interest I’ll probably just order a 4 pack. Seems like an interesting wine and we are relatively low on cabs.
We were happy to receive an email from Alice asking if we would be available during the holidays for a lab rat delivery. And what a surprise to receive a Hoopes 2017 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. We let it rest in the wine fridge for several days before sampling.
We had a surf and turf meal planned (rib-eye steak and seared scallops) so this would be a good chance to try the wine. Upon opening, I did not detect much aroma (I don’t have a great nose), something slightly floral and a bit of vanilla; my husband and tasting partner, Steve, also got the vanilla but also smelled cherries. The color is a beautiful garnet, a tad bit darker than I expected. Upon tasting, we both felt the red fruit was prominent, with cherries in the lead, followed by raspberry, and a bit of blue fruit to complement. We tasted the vanilla, but it was not offensive or prominent, rather it complemented the fruit. The wine paired well with the steak.
This is definitely a young wine. This is not a big bold cab as some Napa cabs can be, it is more elegant. I believe some would define it as more “feminine”. The acidity was on point, the tannins were there, but not mouth-puckering. If we were to guess, we would not have picked this as a Napa cab.
Saved some under vacuvin for 2 days; there’s the Napa cab we were expecting! What a difference a couple days makes. The blue fruit is now more prominent than the red, some leather is evident and the tannins are more noticeable, but smooth. Very well balanced with the acidity. The finish is lengthy and quite enjoyable. Still would not call this a big-ass cab, it is still very elegant, well-made indeed. The acidity in the wine wants food. Had some gourmet dark chocolate covered pretzels gifted by a neighbor that paired quite well. Sadly none is left, I wish we had only tasted the first day, and saved more for today.
If the price is right, we will buy a case to lay down for several years of cellaring. Steve said “Oh well, we need to buy another (additional) wine refrigerator anyway.” Words I’ve been waiting for him to utter since we moved into our new home a few months ago!
Thank you Alice, WD, Hoopes, and Casemates for the opportunity to sample a well-crafted Napa cab, and for the final push to get that additional fridge!
90 points. The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it drifts effortlessly out of the glass with black fruit preserves scents of blackberry jam and blackcurrant jelly plus hints of fruitcake and potpourri. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is chock-full of ripe, juicy black fruit flavors with loads of minty sparks and a plush texture, finishing with a lively lift.
@kaolis@rjquillin
We absolutely got cherry on day one. That was the most pronounced flavor. We had no time to taste on day two, but on day three the black fruit was more pronounced.
@pseudogourmet98@rjquillin Sorry for a confusing post…the Wine Advocate review was penned by Lisa Perrotti-Brown. Never a fave of mine but then the Advocate pretty much has been in a death spiral for a long time. My humble. She is leaving Wine Advocate, Joe Czerwinski taking over editor in chief duties and William Kelley elevated to deputy editor.
@kaolis@rjquillin
Okay, so I’ll just say that I didn’t follow the sarcasm,etc, here and just wanted to confirm our tasting notes did very much include cherries.
@kaolis@pseudogourmet98
Clearly cherries, from both of you.
Just goes to show the “experts” aren’t always.
Those second/third day reports are really helpful, imo, when trying to judge when to pull the cork.
Generally on a Rat bottle I’ll make no attempt at any form of preservation; I quite want to see where it goes.
otoh, if a bottle is in a sweet place, it gets the full attempt to keep it there.; like that '92 Corison from the 25th., full Ar and in the fridge for that one.
@kaolis@pseudogourmet98@rjquillin but whose to say ANYONE is correct here? We all have different ‘benchmarks’ for any scent - tis why i never or rarely ever give tasting notes on my wines.
@kaolis@pseudogourmet98@rjquillin@tercerowines
I get that. But sometimes those tasting notes can lead to epiphany. Like when I smelled raspberry jam or wild Ontario strawberries that first time at a tasting room.
Just as a data point, Wine Access currently offering this bottle for $48 bucks. So Casemates negotiated a solid deal, though Wine Access not known for killer deals.
2017 Hoopes Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Tasting Notes
Vintage
Specs
What’s Included
4-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$600/Case at Hoopes Vineyard for 12x 2017 Hoopes Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
About The Winery
Hoopes Vineyard - Our Story
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI
Estimated Delivery
Tuesday, Jan 18 - Thursday, Jan 20
2017 Hoopes Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
4 bottles for $131.99 $33/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $359.99 $30/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2017 Hoopes Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon - $36 = 9.0%
@chipgreen Blond moment here. How is this only 9% if it’s normally $600/case? Sorry, in advance, for the likely easy explanation.
@chipgreen @shrimp74
Chip posts how much you are saving by purchasing a case, vs. whatever totals 12 bottles of of the smaller offer. Here that would be three offers, and the difference in the total cost between those and a single full case purchase.
Nothing to do with discount from winery/retail pricing.
@chipgreen @rjquillin got it - thanks much!
@chipgreen @shrimp74 He’s comparing the price of Casemates, how much do you save per bottle if you buy the case vs. the 4-pack.
Oh hello @rjquillin, you were way ahead of me!
Quality quality napa cab. Btw, the days of 50% off napa cabs are fast receding.
@Winedavid49
Go Omicron and more mandates!
@rjquillin fires and low yields.
@rjquillin @Winedavid49
I’m not sure if many caught 60 Minutes on CBS this past Sunday night, but they had 2 segments discussing the impact of warming climates on wine production and quality. Thought it was interesting.
@rjquillin @Winedavid49 Amazed that the wineries are able to produce at all! I vividly remember waking up on an early October day in 2017 to ash covering all the cars and a strong stench of smoke. The fires have come back worse every. single. year. We had to sell our home in Marin due to tax law changes and because fire insurance went from ~$2k/year to $20k/year. I can’t imagine the insurance premiums are that much different for our hard working friends in the wine business.
This bottle arrived about a week in advance, pre-holidays while UPS still had their extra troops hauling in rented box trucks. Score! A cab, and an unfamiliar one. The name did ring a small bell so curiosity drove me to search previous deals to see if this was one I’d skipped in the past. I came across a Hoop-LA cabernet, 2016, offered a few years ago in 2018 – which I did recall. At this point I wasn’t sure if they’d dropped the name or if this is more of a reserve that the slightly more no-nonsensy label seems to represent. Finding something of an outdated website for Hoopla with a purchase page that only says “We
Hoopla Wines” just left me with more questions. Oh well, on to casemates offering eve.
The bottle had been patiently waiting out the holiday chaos in the closest I have to a wine cellar so at the moment of opening, I pointed the digital thermometer gun that came with the (ahem) hairless rat my partner came home with a month ago and got a reading of 64° – seems about right. The cork was a little more crept upon than I would have thought, but then again it occurred to me that 2017 is now about five years ago, wow.
Pouring into the glass, the color was like a mulberry purple. For some reason the close up pics of the glass didn’t capture what I saw as it came out more reddish, maybe from the lighting. The nose had something I couldn’t really identify, but intriguingly bold like a flower made of red fruit. The first sip seemed almost unmistakably cherry, some cranberry and rose petal, and still something else that seemed to lift it up. The acidity further makes the fruit stand out, but not with sweetness. Really good, but admittedly different than what I expect in a cabernet. My partner tasted and spotted vanilla, noting that she liked it a lot. Once she said that I started to pick it up with a bit of cedar as well.
The label reads that this was meant for foods (or specifically to compliment a wide variety) which I would not argue, but this stands on its own quite strongly. I tried it with bite of gouda I happened to have, and it was ok, cheese maybe got a little lost, so maybe something more hard or aged that I didn’t have would work better. Dinner was a local favorite burger with spicy bacon and as expected this did not disappoint. As time passed and I came back for another small glass (or two) I realized how much this reminded me of Onesta’s Cinsault which I believe is also is made to be versatile in its food pairing (although I was unlucky enough to miss it the last time it was offered). A few hours did allow for the wine to open up more as well. Maybe if I didn’t wait until the night of, I could have remarked on the second day but will just have to update later.
We liked this wine; it’s and it seems to have solid quality. I’m hoping to see Casemates pricing this $15-18 per bottle at the case price (although I could see this going for higher), and if so I’m definitely in. -Now that I’m seeing the $33 sticker I may have to think on it a bit as that’s little higher than my usual range (or I may need to start getting used to it haha) but I think the quality is there to support that cost. Thanks for the opportunity to try this amazing wine!
@james You are correct on assumption, same owners Hoopla/Hoopes
https://hooplawines.com/
@james thanks for the rattage and great pics
Just a half a day to 18 hours made quite a difference. I was puzzled when I read the description when it first came up but now the cherry is muted, the fruit is much darker with acidity smoothed out and I even get the eucalyptus/mint now as well. This one surely has time to grow in and out of the bottle.
@james interesting that you would compare this with a Cinsault - i usually find the 2 varieties ‘night and day’ different . . .
@tercerowines Agreed! But only for the first few hours after opening. The next day was much more mellow, and at that point it wouldn’t have compared.
Anyone in Denver buying a case and want to split? @COBrent?
@knlprez Maybe I should move to denver.
@knlprez Hi! I’d prefer a 3-way split if there is another Denver-ite out there on the fence. I’d be in for four.
@deadlyapp there’s worse places to live!
@CObrent same for me, I’d like 3 or 4. If no one else has any interest I’ll probably just order a 4 pack. Seems like an interesting wine and we are relatively low on cabs.
@knlprez I’m in Denver if you are still looking, I’d be willing to split.
@CObrent @knlprez @deadlyapp LOVE seeing this cooperation! Go Denver, Go Denver!!
We were happy to receive an email from Alice asking if we would be available during the holidays for a lab rat delivery. And what a surprise to receive a Hoopes 2017 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. We let it rest in the wine fridge for several days before sampling.
We had a surf and turf meal planned (rib-eye steak and seared scallops) so this would be a good chance to try the wine. Upon opening, I did not detect much aroma (I don’t have a great nose), something slightly floral and a bit of vanilla; my husband and tasting partner, Steve, also got the vanilla but also smelled cherries. The color is a beautiful garnet, a tad bit darker than I expected. Upon tasting, we both felt the red fruit was prominent, with cherries in the lead, followed by raspberry, and a bit of blue fruit to complement. We tasted the vanilla, but it was not offensive or prominent, rather it complemented the fruit. The wine paired well with the steak.
This is definitely a young wine. This is not a big bold cab as some Napa cabs can be, it is more elegant. I believe some would define it as more “feminine”. The acidity was on point, the tannins were there, but not mouth-puckering. If we were to guess, we would not have picked this as a Napa cab.
Saved some under vacuvin for 2 days; there’s the Napa cab we were expecting! What a difference a couple days makes. The blue fruit is now more prominent than the red, some leather is evident and the tannins are more noticeable, but smooth. Very well balanced with the acidity. The finish is lengthy and quite enjoyable. Still would not call this a big-ass cab, it is still very elegant, well-made indeed. The acidity in the wine wants food. Had some gourmet dark chocolate covered pretzels gifted by a neighbor that paired quite well. Sadly none is left, I wish we had only tasted the first day, and saved more for today.
If the price is right, we will buy a case to lay down for several years of cellaring. Steve said “Oh well, we need to buy another (additional) wine refrigerator anyway.” Words I’ve been waiting for him to utter since we moved into our new home a few months ago!
Thank you Alice, WD, Hoopes, and Casemates for the opportunity to sample a well-crafted Napa cab, and for the final push to get that additional fridge!
Cheers!
@pseudogourmet98
I also took pictures, but as I see my fellow rat posted plenty, I’ll spare you my novice photography skills.
@pseudogourmet98 Thanks for the report.
Wine Advocate says:
90 points. The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it drifts effortlessly out of the glass with black fruit preserves scents of blackberry jam and blackcurrant jelly plus hints of fruitcake and potpourri. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is chock-full of ripe, juicy black fruit flavors with loads of minty sparks and a plush texture, finishing with a lively lift.
fwiw
@kaolis humm, no mention of cherry
@kaolis @rjquillin
We absolutely got cherry on day one. That was the most pronounced flavor. We had no time to taste on day two, but on day three the black fruit was more pronounced.
@pseudogourmet98 @rjquillin Was LPB in Oct '20. Grain of salt. She’s leaving WA by the way.
@kaolis @pseudogourmet98
apologies, forgot the sarcasm font a couple times now in this thread.
/sarcasm
@pseudogourmet98 @rjquillin I figured, I was aiming that way too, she was never a favorite
@kaolis @rjquillin Haha yeah I guess they must advocate for time to decant before rating
@pseudogourmet98 @rjquillin Sorry for a confusing post…the Wine Advocate review was penned by Lisa Perrotti-Brown. Never a fave of mine but then the Advocate pretty much has been in a death spiral for a long time. My humble. She is leaving Wine Advocate, Joe Czerwinski taking over editor in chief duties and William Kelley elevated to deputy editor.
@kaolis @rjquillin
Okay, so I’ll just say that I didn’t follow the sarcasm,etc, here and just wanted to confirm our tasting notes did very much include cherries.
It is a very nice yet very young wine.
@kaolis @pseudogourmet98
Clearly cherries, from both of you.
Just goes to show the “experts” aren’t always.
Those second/third day reports are really helpful, imo, when trying to judge when to pull the cork.
Generally on a Rat bottle I’ll make no attempt at any form of preservation; I quite want to see where it goes.
otoh, if a bottle is in a sweet place, it gets the full attempt to keep it there.; like that '92 Corison from the 25th., full Ar and in the fridge for that one.
@kaolis @pseudogourmet98 @rjquillin but whose to say ANYONE is correct here? We all have different ‘benchmarks’ for any scent - tis why i never or rarely ever give tasting notes on my wines.
@kaolis @pseudogourmet98 @rjquillin @tercerowines
I get that. But sometimes those tasting notes can lead to epiphany. Like when I smelled raspberry jam or wild Ontario strawberries that first time at a tasting room.
candlelit-crackling-greenery
Only got 4, but looks delish!
No room in the Inn, but I couldn’t resist, so I compromised with the 4-pack.
/giphy fondest-melted-mouse
Any Tampa Bay area mates interested in splitting? We are relatively new to the area and are also looking for fellow imbibers to gather with.
@pseudogourmet98 Isn’t @mommadeb in Tampa? I could be mistaken…
@klezman @pseudogourmet98
Sorry, kids are home. I’m not checking comments . I am south of Tampa.
Just as a data point, Wine Access currently offering this bottle for $48 bucks. So Casemates negotiated a solid deal, though Wine Access not known for killer deals.