How This Napa Cabernet Sauvignon Finally Earned a ‘Perfect’ 100 Score

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With the exception of a handful of narcissists, winemakers do not generally set out to create 100-point wines—they just aim to perfect what nature throws at them season after season. “I don’t try to make wines for scores,” says Amici Cellars winemaker Tony Biagi. And, yet, his wines do garner big numbers. Founded in 1991, Amici is still a small family affair, turning out around 18,000 bottles each year of single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay from some of the best vineyards in Napa and Sonoma. For the last decade, he has notched scores in the mid- to high 90s, and his Amici 2023 Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper Cabernet Sauvignon finally broke through, garnering 100 points from jamessuckling.com.

With Cabernet Sauvignon from esteemed Napa Valley sites such as Oakville Ranch, Morisoli Vineyard, and Beckstoffer To Kalon, it’s almost a surprise that it took this long for lightning to strike in the form of a perfect score. While Biagi believes other vintages of his Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper Cab may have been “as good or better” than 2023, he says. “This was the perfect union of a great vintage and a great site to create this wine.” Allowing his winemaking technique to take a backseat to the quality of fruit from this celebrated vineyard, he says, “Every one of our single vineyards is a representation of what the site can do. Missouri Hopper is one of the grand cru sites in Napa Valley, so the score is reflective of the potential of the site.” With that in mind, the other major variable each year is seasonal conditions, and experts agree that 2023 was as perfect a season as nature can offer.

“It was a cool vintage with a lot of hang time which preserved acidity, freshness and color in the grapes,” Biagi says. “This allowed us to pick when we wanted to for flavor rather than when mother nature dictated due to weather.” In addition to critics, collectors are going big on the 2023 vintage, with many adding significant numbers of bottles to their cellars. Jeff Lokey of Portola Valley California has been buying Amici Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper Cabernet Sauvignon since the inaugural 2013 vintage. This year, he purchased a case and also intends to pick up a couple magnums as soon as they’re released. Considering this is not just one of the best wines of Napa, but good enough to be placed “side by side with any of the great Cabernet-based wines of the world,” Lokey says he reached out to secure his case as soon as he heard “early rumblings from the critics that 2023 was truly something special.”

Home to some of Napa Valley’s most famous cult wineries like Harlan Estate, Screaming Eagle, Bond, and Opus One, Oakville is known as the source for some of Napa’s best Cabernet Sauvignon. Part of an estate once owned by Napa Valley pioneer George C. Yount, for whom the town of Yountville is named, the farm was acquired by Charles Hopper in 1877 as a gift for his daughter, Missouri. In 1960, it was purchased by Bruce Kelham, and in 1996 it was acquired by Beckstoffer Vineyards. “It is one of the most southern vineyards in Oakville located right at the bend of Napa Valley,” Biagi explains. “The winds from the south cool it down a little earlier than To Kalon but it still gets great heat for ripening. The vineyard has great neighbors: Vine Hill Ranch to the west and Dominus to the south. This is a great area for growing concentrated, fresh wines.”

Made with 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, Amici 2023 Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper was fermented in stainless-steel tank and then aged 16 months in all new French oak barrels. “We do things differently every year based on what the vintage gives us. Whether it is how we approach the wine with macerations and barrel downs, every year is something different,” Biagi says. “We are constantly tasting and constantly evaluating to determine the best approach.” We blind tasted through the 2023, 2022, 2021, 2019, and 2018 vintages, all of which earned between 94 and 100 points from a variety of scoring publications, and we both found the 2023 to be the absolute standout. While the through note on these stellar wines was red- and black-berry flavors with opulent tannins and touches of spice, earth, and dark chocolate, each wine was distinct and reflective of its season.

David Ambrose of Naples, Fla., first discovered Amici on a trip to Napa. He was attracted to this wine because of the vineyard’s reputation and has bought several vintages, with bottles from 2017, 2021, and 2022 still remaining in his collection. A fan of Amici Beckstoffer To Kalon and Amici Morisoli Vineyard Cabs as well, Ambrose says although he would have bought a bottle of the 2023 Missouri Hopper alongside his other favorites, with the 100-point score he bumped his order up to four bottles. Tom Kelly of Swarthmore, Penn., first happened upon bottles of Amici at Total Wine more than 20 years ago and first tasted the 2014 Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper in 2016. Kelly considers the 2023 Missouri Hopper “a full-bodied, structured Cabernet with incredible texture, complexity, and very fine tannins that lead into a long, persistent finish,” and plans to hold onto his three bottles for at least five years before sharing with friends.  

While acclaim from critics and collectors is nice, Biagi stands firm in his belief that he should simply make wine that he would like to drink. “If you start crafting wines for other people you are making assumptions about what they like and then you are in trouble,” he says. “You just always make wines you are proud of.”

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