2019 Purlieu - Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Missouri Hopper Vineyard (750ml)

Purlieu is the Napa Valley project of French-born winemaker Julien Fayard, whose background includes work at Château Lafite Rothschild, Quintessa, and Atelier Melka. Based in the Coombsville AVA, the label takes its name from a French term for the edge of the forest, reflecting both its home ground and Fayard's restrained, boundary-pushing approach to Cabernet Sauvignon. For this bottling he sources fruit from grower Andy Beckstoffer's historic Missouri Hopper Vineyard.

The vineyard lies north of Yountville within the Oakville AVA, on a flat alluvial fan of gravel and silty clay loam that forces vine roots deep in search of water, concentrating flavor in the fruit. First planted in 1873 by pioneer Charles Hopper and later named for his daughter, the land became part of Beckstoffer Vineyards in 1996. The 2019 wine carries 15.2 percent alcohol and rests under natural cork.

The 2019 opens with dark currant, smoked tobacco, and a whisper of cold fireplace ash, alongside notes of chocolate and dried herbs. Full-bodied and firmly structured, it carries ripe tannins through a long finish, with enough depth to reward a few years in the cellar. Pair it with grilled ribeye, braised short ribs, or aged cheddar.