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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 89.5 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 69 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Reynolds1979 on 11/21/2019 & rated 82 points: Surprised it held body. Cork fell apart upon opening. Soft nose of dry fruit, light wood. Medium garnet color.
Light tannins on mid palate, light acidity, medium body, light finish. (1525 views) | | | Tasted by happytom on 1/30/2019 & rated 91 points: Randomly found in my cellar. Cork broke. Uh oh. Poured and strained through the hole in the remaining cork. Very nice! Even tho it is from high elevation and from a cool year (2003) the fruit was very present. Berries. Lots of cool berries. Blackberries. Structure is great. Still fresh. After an hour it is opening up. A thin layer of pencil. A bit of tangyness to balance the berries. I had expected it to have been past its prime but drinking great now and can last for a few more years. (1984 views) | | | Tasted by bcowan4 on 12/8/2018 & rated 91 points: Had this in my storage for years. Just opened and think it’s pretty nice. (2121 views) | | | Tasted by BigRedKT on 4/26/2014 & rated 92 points: This wine is drinking wonderfully, and it provided an unexpected treat last night. The tannins have mellowed but still has fantastic structure. (6146 views) | | | Tasted by n2wine on 12/25/2013 & rated 92 points: Lots of strawberry on the nose. Lots of tannins present. A full bodied cab that is drinking real well now. A fantastic wine. (6314 views) | | | Tasted by JDV.DDSPHD on 11/22/2013 & rated 87 points: Decent. Fruit forward typical California cab. Lots of black fruit but not much depth or complexity. Least favorite of the evening and honestly a bit of a let down. Tannins were soft and approachable and the finish was decent but honestly very one dimensional. (2932 views) | | | Tasted by Stefanos T. on 10/15/2013 & rated 92 points: Darkly colored almost opaque.
Nose is very expressive with notes of chocolate, licorice, coffee, crushed berry fruit and ample oak. Full bodied with tannins that are masked behind the massive fruit and sweetness.
Very compelling wine although rather on the heavy side.
It went very well with veal with lemon sauce and it withstood the
strong flavors of the dish.
I don't know if it will become any better but it still has life ahead. (5176 views) | | | Tasted by irduncan on 9/1/2013: Wonderful! (5052 views) | | | Tasted by drgrape on 3/30/2013 & rated 89 points: Medium ruby color, medium body, strawberries. No tannins and maybe just a bit vegetal. (4666 views) | | | Tasted by hopkinstx on 1/19/2013 & rated 90 points: Drank in Jan 2013. Wine had a great nose and tasted wonderful. Smooth with a great balance of tannin and acidity. (2054 views) | | | Tasted by ppaluszewski on 12/28/2012 & rated 91 points: Aromas of cherry cola, chocolate, dark fruits, and fragrant oak jump from the glass. Firm, but very fine tannins on the palate with dark and blue fruits. Excellent concentration typical of Napa mountain fruit. Hints of cedar, vanilla, and spice from the high quality oak. Medium-long finish with lasting tannins. I think this one would have made the ten year mark, but it is probably at its peak now. 90-92 pts. PJP 2012. (1827 views) | | | Tasted by samer on 5/16/2012 & rated 90 points: excellent match for beef short ribs (2409 views) | | | Tasted by WinoTim on 3/31/2012 & rated 89 points: I think this wine is definitely over the hill so my earlier prediction wine could cellar 3+ years just 8 months ago was wrong (or there was something hinky with this bottle?). Depth seems to be in decline and color is turning to brown tones. (2325 views) | | | Tasted by pshigg on 12/4/2011 & rated 89 points: Not really good at taste and smell descriptiors but the wine really opened up about an hour and a half after opening. Very good and can't wait to drink next bottle, will perhaps need to remember to decant (2833 views) | | | Tasted by Yiannis on 11/13/2011 & rated 90 points: Dark ruby-purple. Expressive nose with anise, fennel, dark berries, chocolate and minty notes. Full-bodied and round, with soft tannins, rich fruit and moderate but adequate acidity. Long aftertaste. A solid Napa cab to drink now and over the next 5-10 years. (2645 views) | | | Tasted by Claises on 7/27/2011: Delicious. Held up nicely with grilled NY strips. I love Hess wines. (2773 views) | | | Tasted by NP2 on 4/5/2011 & rated 90 points: I like Hess! (2871 views) | | | Tasted by VinZen on 3/25/2011 & rated 92 points: Deep, deep purple color, big tannins, licorice, and leather. Dark bitter chocolate and fig flavors. Enjoyed with flat iron steak and inagi sushi. I'm thinking we should have saved it for a few more years. (2784 views) | | | Tasted by CabIsKing on 3/13/2011 & rated 91 points: Same notes but think this wine gained some depth in the mouth hence the better score. Really pleasant and full of fruit. I would agree that this is in a very nice drinking spot right now. Drink up. (2839 views) | | | Tasted by eric@cwm on 2/27/2011 & rated 91 points: This is one of the most enjoyable bottles I've tasted from Hess. Shows aromas and flavors of tobacco, leather, black raspberry and plum. This was tasted over two hours, and showed very firm tannins and dominant new oak character upon opening. Over the course of the evening, the wine opened up nicely, showing good balance, fruit and softer tannins. Judging from the prior reviews, it would appear that this wine is in a good spot right now. There is a fresh strawberry-like flavor that was trying to climb out of the glass in the end. A nice match for a Moroccan beef stew tonight. (2959 views) | | | Tasted by MindMuse on 2/19/2011 & rated 89 points: Decanted about 3 hours. Dark garnet. Dark blackberry, cedar, pencil lead, coffee grounds, integrated sweet oak. Plush, pretty rich and tasty, some soft grip on finish. Good with ribeyes. The bottle had some specialness as a gift I opened about 3 1/2 years later, but the wine itself wasn't really special. I'd say drink now or in next couple of years. (2959 views) | | | Tasted by OldSpec on 12/5/2010 & rated 91 points: Nice bouquet that fully bloomed after an hour of the wine being exposed to air, good structure though a bit sweet on the palate, medium finish. Enjoyable. (1739 views) | | | Tasted by rocknroller on 8/24/2010 & rated 92 points: Aerated and decanted for one hour. Dark garnet color. Nose of cedar box, damp forest floor, coffee, plum, dark cherry, wet leather. The palate is medium bodied with good depth, and follows the nose, but also giving nice notes of tobacco, oak and spice on the long finish. Silky smooth tannins and excellent balance. I am quite glad I waited on this bottle. Unfortunately there is no more. (3451 views) | | | Tasted by galewskj on 7/25/2010 & rated 89 points: I like these older smoothed out California cabernets. Soft tannins,, yummy. This one was not that complex, but for $10 a great value. (3573 views) | | | Tasted by WinoTim on 7/10/2010 & rated 91 points: Deep cab aroma. Still a lot of tanins. Could easily go another 3 years. (3558 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| The Hess Collection Producer websiteCabernet SauvignonCabernet Sauvignon is probably the most famous red wine grape variety on Earth. It is rivaled in this regard only by its Bordeaux stablemate Merlot, and its opposite number in Burgundy, Pinot Noir. From its origins in Bordeaux, Cabernet has successfully spread to almost every winegrowing country in the world. It is now the key grape variety in many first-rate New World wine regions, most notably Napa Valley, Coonawarra and Maipo Valley. Wherever they come from, Cabernet Sauvignon wines always seem to demonstrate a handful of common character traits: deep color, good tannin structure, moderate acidity and aromas of blackcurrant, tomato leaf, dark spices and cedarwood.
Used as frequently in blends as in varietal wines, Cabernet Sauvignon has a large number of common blending partners. Apart from the obvious Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the most prevalent of these are Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carmenere (the ingredients of a classic Bordeaux Blend), Shiraz (in Australia's favorite blend) and in Spain and South America, a Cabernet – Tempranillo blend is now commonplace. Even the bold Tannat-based wines of Madiran are now generally softened with Cabernet SauvignonUSAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Napa Valley Napa Valley Wineries and Wine (Napa Valley Vintners)Mt. Veeder Mt. Veeder (Appellation America) |
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