Press & Reviews

100

Points

2023 Missouri Hopper Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

“Balance with structure and complexity. Intense blackberry, lead-pencil, iodine and oyster-shell aromas. Medium-bodied with superpolished, round tannins that are endless in the finish. Goes on and on. Stunning. Archetypal Napa Valley at a top level. Incredible qualtiy. Best wine ever from this winery. Drinkable but better in a couple of years.”

— James Suckling

98

Points

2023 Amici Dr. Crane Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

“Dark fruit, including blackcurrants, as well as violets and subtle stone undertones. Full-bodied with firm, chewy tannins and a muscular finish. Polished and well formed. Better in two or three years.”

— James Suckling

98

Points

2023 Amici Charles Heintz VIneyard Chardonnay

“The 2023 Charles Heintz Vineyard Chardonnay is very shy on first sniff, yet after some shaking, the nose erupts with notes of fresh pineapples and green mango, followed by hints of key lime pie, orange blossoms, struck flint, and chalk dust. The medium to full-bodied palate is satiny and intense, with vibrant citrus and tropical flavors, finishing long and minerally.”

— Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Palate

Press Kit

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About Amici Cellars

Owner Bios

Features

California’s Amici Cellars, a winery that has been consistently well reviewed by James and the JamesSuckling.com team for many years, reached a new level of excellence in our tastings this week, earning a well-deserved perfect score for the first time. The Amici Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Missouri Hopper 2023 underlines the depth of Napa’s 2023 vintage and the unique qualities of the vineyard it comes from. “Stunning, archetypal Napa Valley at a top level,” is how James described it, adding that it was “the best wine ever” from Amici. This 100 percent cabernet sauvignon from the southern limit of the Oakville appellation offers balance with structure and complexity. It shows intense blackberry, lead-pencil, iodine and oyster-shell aromas then super-polished, round tannins that are practically endless in the finish.

“We are extremely happy with all of our 2023s,” said Bob Shepard, Amici’s proprietor. “After the challenges of 2022 we just had some great, great conditions.”Those conditions – a long, relatively cool and undramatic growing season followed by harvest dates about four weeks later than normal – played into the strengths of the Missouri Hopper property. It sits on the west side of Highway 29, bordering the Yountville AVA at a place where hills crowd in slightly on the west and east sides, channeling and concentrating the daily cool afternoon breezes that stream north from San Pablo Bay.“At that property the coolness from the wind just adds an energy to the wine,” Shepard said. “I think it sits more on top of your tongue and I think it’s got a height to it rather than much of a width. I am an Italian wine guy. I love Brunello and Barolo, the freshness and acidity, so we don’t aspire to fatness in the wine.”Amici winemaker Tony Biagi said the 2023 Missouri Hopper cabernet is comprised of 60 percent of the valley’s traditional Clone 4 and 40 percent Clone 337, a French import adopted about 30 years ago. As good as the vineyard is, they still selected out a quarter of the barrels to fine-tune the wine, leaving them with under 300 cases.“When you’ve got a great piece of property and you have great viticulture methods taking care of it, then you’re pulling the rope in the same direction,” was Shepard’s take.

Winery Story | Amici Cellars

“In a Napa Valley increasingly driven by marketing hype, trophy labels, and rising bottle prices, Amici Cellars opts for a calmer yet more meaningful approach. The winery’s simple plan is to source grapes from premier vineyards—including To Kalon, Morisoli, Cimarossa, Hyde, and Charles Heintz sites—and produce cellar-worthy wines full of character. This strategy focuses on quality over brand flash through carefully chosen sources, meticulous winemaking, and competitive prices.” Read More…

– Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Palate, November 2025