Donald Hess,
a Swiss entrepreneur, bought 900 acres on Mount Veeder (situated between Napa
and Sonoma Valleys) between 1978 and 1982, setting aside 600 acres to support
wildlife corridors and biodiversity. Immediately, sustainable practices, as
defined by the Wine Institute, were utilized in the vineyards. The old stone
winery, originally built in 1903, was opened to the public in 1989. Since that
time, the Hess Collection of wines has become synonymous with quality wines and
green farming.
I had the
opportunity to visit Hess a few weeks ago, and it was a memorable experience.
Within a few hours of landing in San Francisco, my new friends and I were
sitting at a picnic table in the middle of the Allomi Vineyard looking out over
210 acres of vines. The vineyard, purchased in 1997, sits at the base of Howell
Mountain in the beautiful and remote Pope Valley. Although Sauvignon Blanc,
Petite Sirah, and Petite Verdot are also grown here, this vineyard is best
known as the source for the Hess Collection Cabernet Sauvignon Allomi. Mike,
our host, poured the 2012 as we enjoyed an incredible picnic lunch prepared by
Hess’s chef. This wine is a quintessential valley floor Cab with luscious red
fruits that are joined by a bit of blackberry and black currant. The tannins
are ample enough to lend support and complexity but are well integrated for a
soft, round mouth feel. Selling for $28.99, this is a delicious wine! The six
of us polished off two bottles before leaving this beautiful place and resuming
our adventure.
We then
headed up Mount Veeder, almost to the very top, to the Veeder Summit vineyard. Hess
is so dedicated to sustainable green farming that dozens of goats are released
before bud break each spring to clear undergrowth around the vines so there is
less dependence on vehicles. There are fully a dozen varietals grown here, with
the early ripening Malbec and Merlot being the most dominant. Looking
southwest, we could see as far as the towers of the Golden Gate Bridge and 115
acres of vines spread out before us.
We gazed out
over the magnificent vista as we drank a bottle or two of Hess 19 Block Cuvee.
A blend of Merlot, Cabernet, Syrah, and Malbec sourced mainly from the vineyard
we were sitting in, this wine has beautiful red berry fruit, clove, and
cinnamon on the nose followed by a mouthful of red fruit. A soft tannic finish
laced with raspberry and a hint of vanilla make this a wonderful wine. It sells
for $31.99 and is worth every penny.
We then went
to the beautiful old stone winery, where we tasted several wines in the garden.
We tasted a few winery-only wines that were very good, especially an awesome
Petite Sirah. We also tasted through the Hess Select series. These entry level
wines are sourced from all over California and are very well made for the price
they sell for. There is a Monterey Chardonnay, fresh and vibrant without being
overwhelmed with oak, and a very correctly made citrusy Sauvignon Blanc, both
of which sell for $10.49. The Pinot Noir was a pleasant surprise, with cola,
cherry fruit, and spice. The Treo, a blend of Syrah, Petite Sirah, and Merlot,
full of cranberry, pomegranate, black cherry, and spice, is jammy and easy
drinking, a perfect BBQ wine. Both these wines sell for $12.49 and are great
values.
The tasting
completed, we now walked up to the library, gazing at Mr. Hess’s amazing art
collection on the way. We enjoyed a wonderful meal and, of course, wonderful
wines to match each course. The most noteworthy wine was the 2012 Napa Valley
Chardonnay, served with a pan seared halibut. This delicious Chardonnay, is
sourced from the Su’skol Vineyard on the Napa Valley floor, barely ten miles
from San Francisco Bay. Morning fog from the bay cools the hot Napa Valley
microclimate, providing perfect growing conditions for Chardonnay, and it shows
in the wine. I tend to be an ABC kind of guy (anything but Chardonnay) but this
wine is remarkable. The musque’ clones used in the vineyard result in beautiful
floral aromatics and flavors of honeysuckle and apple with a background of
citrus and tropical fruits. Acidity is perfectly balanced against a rich mouth feel.
Only 25% malolactic fermentation and aging in neutral oak result in a perfectly
balanced, vibrant Chardonnay. This wine is a must for Chardonnay fans at
$21.99.
The next day
we visited the 175 acre Su’skol vineyard, and Kate, the winemaker gave us a
tour of the massive 850,000 case facility that Hess has nearby. From there we
continued our adventure in wine country, but we are not soon to forget our
experience at Hess. If you go to Napa Valley make sure to visit the winery. But
in the meantime, enjoy the wonderful wines that come from this venerable
estate, whether they are from the excellent value Hess Select series or the
amazing estate wines. You will be impressed.
Cheers!
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