Hess Collection Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
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The estate grown Cabernet is the flagship of The Hess Collection – grown on the original vineyards first acquired by Donald Hess in the late 70s. The 2014 vintage is vibrant with big blackberry fruit notes and sweet pleasing tannins – a surprise coming from Mount Veeder. Tannins on Mount Veeder need the most attention to ensure the team crafts a wine that is approachable and round, and this vintage delivers on all fronts. There are mouth-filling notes of espresso and cassis that layer around a very precise black fruit core. This is a wine that can age, but won't disappoint while it's young.
Blend: 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Malbec, 3% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Composed of 81% Cabernet, 16% Malbec and a dollop a Petit Verdot, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Mt. Veeder has a very deep purple-black color and nose of crushed blackcurrants, blackberries and plums with hints of cedar chest, dried Provence herbs, rose petals and menthol with a hint of rare beef. Full-bodied, concentrated and vibrant in the mouth, it has tons of energy framed by grainy tannins and a lively backbone, finishing long and earthy.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The Hess Collection Mount Veeder Cabernet 2014 comes to the fore with plenty of richness and varietal definition. TASTING NOTES: This wine delivers classic blackcurrants in its aromas and flavors. Pair it with grilled lamb chops topped with fresh mint leaves. (Tasted: July 14, 2020, San Francisco, CA)
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Wine Enthusiast
Juicy black cherry and grippy oak are the stars of the show in this delicious red wine, softened by the addition of 16% Malbec. Elongated tannins support the leathery texture as highlights of cedar and sage play on.
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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.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
Centered at the peak for which it is named, Mount Veeder is Napa’s largest sub-AVA. But even though the entire appellation spreads over 16,000 acres, vineyards cover a mere 1,000. Scattered among Douglas firs and bristlecone pines, Mount Veeder vineyards extend south from the upper elevations of the Mayacamas Mountains—the highest point at 2,400 feet—to the border of the Carneros region. Less than 25 wineries produce wine from Mount Veeder fruit.
Winemaking began early in this appellation. In 1864, Captain Stelham Wing presented the first Mount Veeder wine to the Napa County Fair; it came from today’s Wing Canyon Vineyard. Prohibition, of course, halted winemaking and viticulture wasn’t revitalized until the founding of Mayacamas Vineyards in 1951 and Bernstein Vineyards in 1964.
The Bernstein Vineyards was actually home to the first Petit Verdot in California, planted in 1975. Today most of the Petit Verdot in Napa Valley originates from this vineyard.
Rocky volcanic clay and ancient seabed matter dominate Mount Veeder soils—perfect for Bordeaux varieties. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot enjoy spectacular success. These varieties produce wines rich in brambly blackberry and black cherry fruit with herbal and floral aromatics. Structures are moderate to assertive and wines have great staying power.
Chardonnay from Mount Veeder is lush, full and balanced mineral and fresh citrus flavors.