Wine of the Week!

Hess Collection 2003   $34      
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon   

If you like your red wine intense and bold then you’ll love our Wine of the Week.  This week we have a ripe and luscious Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon – it’s the Hess Collection 2003.   

This wine is born in the hillside vineyards of Mt. Veeder and is packed with concentrated flavor.  The Hess is layered with deep black fruit, like boysenberries and currants, but there is an almost smoky note that adds depth.  Along with a little touch of mint.  The combination is a robust mouthful of wine.   

This is Cabernet for steak and roast beef!  And you can enjoy it now, but it has the structure to wait a few years too.  Its priced about thirty two dollars… not bad for a classy Napa Cabernet.  And it’s named after the Hess collection of modern art at the winery... worth a visit if you make it out to Napa.  So pick up a bottle of this artful Hess Collection Cabernet Sauvignon to savor at home.   

Pop the Cork™.

Wine on the Radio - April 20, 2007

Wine Spectator 85 points - Good richness, intensity and focus, with a mix of earthy currant, wild berry and dusty sagelike flavors. The tannins give it a chewy mouthfeel. About as good a value as you'll get in Napa Cabernet. Drink now through 2012. 35,000 cases made. –JLThe wines of Hess Mount Veeder reflect Donald Hess’ vision of mountain wines with winemaking and grape growing working hand in hand to extract the best expressions of mountain fruit. These wines display balance and elegance with ample strength and structure to age. Mount Veeder is the coolest, southern most mountain district in Napa and has both a volcanic and geologically unique soil that only occurs in this mountain AVA. The unique attributes of the soils, exposures and altitude create wines that reveal the mountain’s distinct personality.

From Veeder Hills vineyards with altitudes of 600 – 1120 feet, this wine is a powerful, brambly and structured mountain Cabernet Sauvignon that pairs well with robust dishes and grilled meats.

The 2003 vintage started with a very warm March giving the vines a boost to start off their growing season. This strong start proved valuable as the summer’s weather pattern was cooler than normal and the grapes were slow to ripen. Then September and October brought beautiful, warm weather, a classic ingredient of great vintages in the Napa Valley. The grapes responded and by the beginning of October we were harvesting with exceptional flavors. As a result, 2003 looks to be an excellent year for collectors.

The aroma is concentrated and expresses vanilla, brown sugar and mint. On the palate the wine reveals flavors of boysenberry and espresso richly framed with ripe mountain tannins.
--Dave Guffy
Winemaker

Notes on our Wines of the Week, Recommendations, and Picks:

When you read our thoughts, please remember that you may think differently.  A particular wine may be your favorite and not on our list.  Well, don't stop buying it because of that.  In fact, you may want to email us and let us know about it. These are our opinions but our FIRST recommendation is to go by your own palate.

A couple of other thoughts . . . first, prices are approximate.  They'll vary.  Second, different vintages mean different grapes and different tastes so our recommendation for a 2000 Merlot may not hold for 2001.

And lastly, we remind you to drink responsibly!  Now, all that said, here is a summary of  links to our suggestions.  Find one (or more) and pop the cork!

Read the fine print . . .

Wine consumption can have positive physical benefits or cause possible physical harm . . . the medical community is divided in some areas.  If you have any doubt, check with your doctor before consuming wine or any other alcoholic drink. 

Our information is well researched.  Recommendations are based on our opinions at the time of publication.  At the same time, recommendations change.  Also, there may be significant variance in taste depending on storage, shipping, and other factors.

The Wine Experience is not liable or responsible for any consequences arising from the use of the information obtained from winexperience.com, wineexp.com or The Wine Experience radio show.

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