Winemaker Notes
This is a classic Napa Cabernet led by bold black fruit flavors, primarily black cherry and black currant, with elements of espresso and dark chocolate intertwined between the layered dark fruit notes. A wine of quality and depth, refined elements of oak showcase a composition built for aging, yet balanced, well-integrated tannins allow this wine to show beautifully for those unwilling to wait.
Blend: 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7.5% Malbec, 2% Petit Verdot, 1.5% Petite Sirah
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Youthfully compact in feel, this has some juicy, coiled up energy behind its core of blackberry and red currant fruit. Brambly grip and a roasted apple wood edge help drive the finish. Some short-term cellaring should let this round into form. Best from 2025 through 2035. 3,150 cases made.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Named for a Pope Valley vineyard acquired by the Hess family in 2019, the 2021 Hess Collection Cabernet Sauvignon Iron Corral is a blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7.5% Malbec, 2% Petit Verdot and 1.5% Petite Sirah. Blackberries and black cherries mark the nose, joined by hints of vanilla and cedar (maturation was 18 months in 40% new oak). Ripe and fruity, this full-bodied offering is softly dusty and approachable young, but it has enough tannins to think it will age for up to a decade from the vintage.
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James Suckling
One third Mt. Veeder and two thirds Pope Valley grapes from the winery’s estate properties go into this robust, generously fruity but structured wine. Black cherries and blueberries with cocoa powder tannins. Aged in 40% new French oak, blended with malbec, petit verdot and a dash of petite sirah.
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.
One of the most prestigious wines of the world capable of great power and grace, Napa Valley Cabernet is a leading force in the world of fine, famous, collectible red wine. Today the Napa Valley and Cabernet Sauvignon are so intrinsically linked that it is difficult to discuss one without the other. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that this marriage came to light; sudden international recognition rained upon Napa with the victory of the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1976 Judgement of Paris.
Cabernet Sauvignon undoubtedly dominates Napa Valley today, covering half of the land under vine, commanding the highest prices per ton and earning the most critical acclaim. Cabernet Sauvignon’s structure, acidity, capacity to thrive in multiple environs and ability to express nuances of vintage make it perfect for Napa Valley where incredible soil and geographical diversity are found and the climate is perfect for grape growing. Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that express specific characteristics based on situation, slope and soil—as a perfect example, Rutherford’s famous dust or Stags Leap District's tart cherry flavors.