Winemaker Notes
Blend: 55% Malbec, 15% Zinfandel, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petite Sirah, 8% Merlot
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Another fascinating wine that symbolizes the new level of quality as well as innovation and creativeness at Hess Collection is the 2014 Proprietary Red The Lion Tamer, a red blend, which is 55% Malbec, 15% Zinfandel, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petite Sirah and 8% Merlot. It comes from vineyards throughout Napa and is a delicious, Mediterranean style of wine, with notes of forest floor, underbrush, lavender, loads of black cherry and blackcurrant, a nice, spicy meatiness and a medium to full-bodied finish. Drink it over the next 5-6 years.
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Wine Enthusiast
A new offering from this producer, this wine blends 55% Malbec with 15% Zinfandel, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petite Sirah and 8% Merlot. It satisfies in rich, rounded flavors of blueberry pie, cranberry and clove, with an underlying streak of dark chocolate. Medium acidity supports an appealing full-bodied juiciness.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.