Winemaker Notes
The Lion Cabernet Sauvignon consistently presents an eloquent expression of Mount Veeder fruit with an exceptional refinement in aroma, flavor and texture. The 2019 vintage proves to be exemplary, exhibiting aromas of lush blackberry mountain fruit and bramble with an earthy, brown spice undertone. Velvety, round tannins create a silky, lush entry with a structured backbone intensified by flavors of dark cocoa and black fruits, married together by subtle sweet vanilla and baking spices that embody the long finish.
Blend: 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Malbec, 3% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This beautiful, deep and layered wine grown on the HessPersson family’s mountaintop property is creamy but structured, bold but nuanced and ready to either drink now or hold for quite a while. Ripe, spicy intricate aromas of blueberries, mocha, cinnamon and cream lead to a velvety mouthful of dark fruits, mint and cafe au lait as silky tannins carry it through a lingering finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Marked by a slightly lifted note on the nose, the 2019 Hess Collection Cabernet Sauvignon The Lion is a blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Malbec and 3% Petit Verdot. It yields concentrated notes of blueberries, black cherries and cassis and boasts ample weight on the palate, super concentration and a long, velvety finish, yet it could use a bit more complexity to elevate it to the next quality level.
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Wine Spectator
Captures the sweet bay leaf and violet aromatics of Mount Veeder, but mixes these elements with a more polished core of boysenberry and plum fruit backed by melted licorice and fruitcake on the finish. Ripe and expressive, with lots to like. Best from 2024 through 2035.
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.