Review: Hoopes 2022 Rose and 2018 Syrah
Napa’s Hoopes Family Vineyard has flown under our radar for years, but recently we got the chance to evaluate two of its latest releases, a surprising syrah and a rose made primarily from Napa’s benchmark grape, cabernet sauvignon.
Let’s dig in.
2022 Hoopes Rose Napa Valley – Rose of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petite Verdot, 2% Syrah, 1% Malbec, 1% Grenache. A rose wine made from all of Hoopes’ red varietals. Bright, strawberry-heavy, and perfectly pink, there’s no shortage of bubbly sweetness here — though it eventually finds some balance in notes of gently perfumed flowers and some gingery baking spice. A lightly bitter finish helps temper what can otherwise come across as a bit too fruity and effusive. This rose manages to thread that needle well enough — but for me, one glass was plenty. B / $38
2018 Hoopes Sophie’s Block Syrah Oak Knoll District – 86% Syrah, 10% Viognier, 2.5% Malbec, 1.5% Merlot. I happily sipped on this thinking it was a denser pinot noir until I finally looked at the label: Surprise! One of the lighter and more fruit-forward syrahs I’ve encountered in recent memory, this wine trades notes of spice and charred meat for bright cherry and blackberry notes. Spice elements build alongside the finish, attempting to tame some of the still-pushy tannins, though they manage to linger into a bittersweet but still fruit-laden finish. A sharp twist of orange peel brightens up the finish with a slightly bitter-sour edge. If you think you know everything about syrah, give this a whirl. A- / $60
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