Winemaker Notes
This Pinot Noir is bright and engaging, full of red fruit aromas woven together with notes of cinnamon and sandalwood. Beautifully structured and lush, the palate is loaded with complete layers of cherries, brown spices, and savory notes that surround silky tannins, persisting through a long finish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
An attractive, straightforward pinot with dark-berry and cherry character. Medium body, light tannins and a fruity finish. Hints of flowers at the end. Drink now.
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Wine Enthusiast
With a complexity of firm tannin and salty oak, this full-bodied wine exudes jammy red fruit, perfumed gingerbread and notes of cola and black tea. It is concentrated and undeniably rich.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2019 Hess Collection Allomi Napa Valley Pinot Noir shows excellent style and persistence. TASTING NOTES: This wine exhibits attractive aromas and flavors of red and black fruits, with a touch of oak. Pair it with grilled lamb should chops. (Tasted: January 23, 2021, San Francisco, CA)
For over 40 years, The Hess Collection has been producing complex, elegant wines sourced from estate vineyards high on Mount Veeder and in the far reaches of the Napa Valley. It is from these rugged landscapes that The Hess Collection winemaking team crafts exceptional luxury wines.
A pioneer by nature, Donald Hess was determined to defy convention and pursue winemaking at elevation. In 1978, he established The Hess Collection Winery on the site of one of the region’s oldest wineries on Mount Veeder. Although few in Napa Valley were cultivating vines at elevation, Donald Hess believed the volcanic slopes of Mount Veeder provided the ideal combination of soils and microclimates to yield elegant wines with rich, complex flavors.
Today, the next generation of The Hess family continues Donald’s legacy at the winery's home on Mount Veeder.
As early as the 1970s Carneros became known as a source of terrific Pinot Noir, and was one of the first California regions to gain such a reputation. The combination of sunny days, cooling fog and thin clay soils are tailor-made for the variety. Another factor in Pinot Noir’s prominent place here is vintners’ willingness to experiment widely. The history of the grape in Carneros is marked by continuous research into clonal variations, viticultural techniques and site selection. Careful evaluation over time has revealed a signature flavor profile as well. Complex aromas and flavors of cherry, red berry, spice, earth and cola appear time and again in Carneros Pinot Noir. To this day the appellation remains one of California’s standard bearers for the variety.