Winemaker Notes
The Lion Cabernet Sauvignon consistently presents an eloquent expression of Mount Veeder fruit with an exceptional refinement in both flavor and texture. Once again this vintage proves to be outstanding, as the rich, delicious entry of blackberry and boysenberry announce an elegantly structured wine. On the palate, concentrated layers of supple blueberry and plum marry with elements of dark chocolate and espresso. This wine is supported by mouthfilling tannins and balanced by a gorgeous acidity. The oak influence is gracefully integrated and marked by subtle sweet vanilla notes on the long, satisfying finish.
Blend: 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Malbec, 2% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The estate-grown 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon The Lion was made with the consultancy of Celia Welch (winemaker for Scarecrow) and is made up of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot. Very deep purple-black colored, it rolls effortlessly out of the glass with notions of warm cassis, preserved plums, blueberry pie and chocolate-covered cherries with touches of dried mint, violets, tilled soil, cinnamon stick and smoked meats. Full-bodied, the palate has a rock-solid frame of very firm, very ripe grainy tannins and bold freshness supporting the expressive black fruit and earthy layers, finishing with fantastic length and depth. Very classy! This should age incredibly.
Rating: 97+ -
Wine Spectator
Features a deep well of açaí berry, blueberry and blackberry reduction flavors holding sway over briar, black tea, melted black licorice and apple wood notes. All the elements meld easily as this sails effortlessly through the length finish, no small feat for a wine of this depth and power. Best from 2021 through 2037.
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Wine Enthusiast
From the producer’s Mount Veeder vineyards, this wine is blended with 14% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot. Thick and concentrated in red fruit and oak, it has a strong presence of oak and sage on the palate. The finish is lengthy in black pepper and integrated tannins.
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Wine & Spirits
Distinctly Veeder in its fir-tree forest scents and rustic tannins, this is a powerful mountain-grown cabernet. It bristles with tannic spice and the peppery bite of alcohol, youthfully potent, needing several years of bottle age to mellow.
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.