Venge, Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville, California, 2021

Overview of the Wine
The Venge (ven-ghee) family has farmed vitis vinifera varieties in Napa Valley for nearly half a century. It is a journey that began when Knud Venge emigrated from Denmark to the United States in the early 1900’s. Knud's son, Per Venge, found his passion in the wine and spirits industry and started Vencom Imports, focusing on the importation of Western European fine wines and spirits. It was Per's son, Nils Venge, who left the family business in the 1960's with a vision to study viticulture at UC Davis and establish the family name as an icon in the winegrowing community.

The family's viticultural roots flourished in 1976 with the purchase of a 17-acre vineyard in the Oakville District that was planted to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. This fortunate development cast the family among the winemaking pioneers of Napa Valley.

Nils' and Dianna Venge's son, Kirk Venge, gravitated to winemaking at an early age. He proved to be as talented a winemaker as his father, making wines in his own style, with a vision to build on the family legacy. In 2008, Kirk achieved his lifelong dream and acquired full ownership of Venge Vineyards. Today, Kirk continues the Napa Valley heritage, focusing on select vineyard sites that produce fruit worthy of bearing the Venge family name.

Grape / Blend
Cabernet Sauvignon

Origin
Oakville, Napa Valley, California

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
Missouri Vineyard has become synonymous with world-class wine. This historic heritage vineyard is found in Oakville and is owned by Andy Beckstoffer who has carved his reputation upon his appreciation for meticulous farming and movement toward sustainability. This special vineyard is located on the western alluvial fan just north of the town of Yountville. The soil type is moderately deep alluvial silty clay loam. The vine’s roots struggle to find water causing them to burrow deep into the earth producing grapes with layered, concentrated, and balanced flavors. Oakville has a long-standing reputation for producing cellar-worthy wines of incredible character.

This vineyard is known for showing a softer, prettier side of the typically powerful Oakville palate.  Ripe aromatics of cranberry and raspberry pie. Dried floral notes of lilac, coupled with exotic spices, sandalwood, and cherries. The palate is full of fresh fruit flavors, bramble berries, strawberry, and cherry cola, with subtle nuances of pipe tobacco, cigar box, and black tea with a bright acidity and silky tannins.

95-97 Points - Jeb Dunnuck 
Killer black and blue fruits, chalky minerality, black olive, tobacco, and damp earth notes all emerge from the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper Vineyard, a full-bodied, deep, rich, incredibly impressive barrel sample from Kirk Venge. As with the Family Reserve, a few years of bottle age are warranted.

94-96 Points - Wine Independent
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper Vineyard is deep garnet-purple in color. It offers profound notes of Chinese five spice, potpourri, iron ore, dried herbs, and dusty soil with a core of plum pudding and creme de cassis. The full-bodied palate delivers muscular fruit with a firm, chewy texture, finishing long and minerally. This was tasted as a barrel sample.

Product size: 750ml