April 2025 VIP Wine Club

Hoopla Cabernet Sauvignon

California; Napa Valley

Hoopes Vineyard is a small, family-owned winegrower and producer with deep roots in Napa Valley. Now in their second generation, Lindsay Hoopes continues to live and work on the farm with revered dedication to her family heritage in dogged pursuit of perfect wines. Their critically acclaimed wines tell the exquisite story of their vineyards, philosophy, and the continued evolution of Napa Valley. With a true sense of place, Hoopes Vineyard wines over deliver in flavor, history, passion, adventure and luxury. Hoopes has estate owned and farmed vineyards in Yountville and Oakville. They grow primarily Cabernet Sauvignon & Chardonnay and aspire to reflect the unique character of each individual vineyard in the bottle. Famed winemaker Aaron Pott (trained by John Kongsgaard and Michel R

olland) has joined the team as head winemaker. The Hoopes family care deeply about sustainability efforts and intend to shepherd the land for multiple generations to come. All vineyards are Certified Organic or are undergoing certification. Their vineyards are regenerative farms complete with animals, water recycling systems, and bio-diversity practices aimed at enhancing the overall health of the vineyard ecosystem.

This generous Cabernet Sauvignon has a deep, inky purple color and is very ripe with blackberries and blueberries. The palate is very concentrated with deep plum, pomegranate and spice. Though the wine is very concentrated, it is balanced with acidity and tannins. The wine finishes with black cherry, cassis and spices, very supple and silky with a long finish.

Tete-a-Tete Red Blend

California; Sierra Foothills

Terre Rouge and Easton Wines were founded in the late 80’s by Bill Easton and Jane O’Riordan. Winemaker Bill Easton is one of the original Rhône Rangers and pioneered the Rhône varietals in the Sierra Foothills under the TERRE ROUGE label. The EASTON portfolio includes Amador County favorites like old vine Zinfandel and Barbera. The wines are balanced and elegant, with complexity that develops as the wines age in the bottle. The French call it élevage, which is "raising" the wine in the bottle. There is an art to this style of winemaking and great pleasure in a wine that is ready to drink, while still showing great promise for future aging.

Tête-à-Tête is the assemblage of Mediterranean varietals (39% Grenache, 39% Mourvèdre & 22% Syrah). This wine drinks like wines from solid Côtes-du- Rhône-Villages vintage: sappy, spicy, mouth-filling, and nuanced. It is an eminently enjoyable everyday bottle. It features deep boysenberry fruit aromatics, with smoky, meaty, gamey complex flavor components that emphasize our terroir, and a lengthy creamy texture. Aged for 16 months in a mixture of French barrels.