2006 Small Block Viognier. Planted on Cabernet root stock, interestingly enough
Paired with a sald consisting of frisee and a prosciutto-wrapped peach and a slightly sweet, acidic dressing (yum). Straw gold color-very pretty. Nice ripe peach and citrus notes on the palette, but that is not all-there is a very nice mineral note on the finish. Quite nice. ***1/2 I will probably buy this when they release it (I'm on the reds list)
2005 Small Block Malbec. Paired with a roasted duck sandwich on focacia bread. Lovely black/purple color. Somewhat reticent nose. Plenty of tannins! Blueberry and maybe chocolate on the palette, with a very nice finish of savory and minerally notes. I enjoyed this quite a bit. ***1/2 Maybe wait a year to see what happens?
2004 Mountain Cuvee (syrah, Cab, and I think some others). Served with beef in a blue cheese and sauteed sweet onion relish. Definitely another dark colored wine. Lovely black fruit-cassis, blackberry, maybe choclate. Needs some time, though. There is more vanilla oak evident on this wine than their regular Cab releaser. Love the fruit, not sure about the vanilla, so...**1/2 Let's see if the big bold fruit can absorb the oak in two years or so?
2004 Cabernet Sauvignon (new release). This is more like it. Black in the glass. Lots of tannins, but this wine is more elegant than the other Mount Veeder wine I had lately (Mount Veeder Winery= Less brambly_. 2004 was a hot year, and you can taste the warmth in the rich, black, almost roasted fruit. Still some nice acid though. Nice savory finish, too. The tannins are pretty strong right now, but the oak is much less evident than on the Mountain Cuvee. ***+ with excellent upside potential!
Hess is, to my palette, one of my favorite Napa wineries. They always seem to have some savory and mineral notes in their wiens-it';s not just about the fruit (which is still there, of course) Plus, the events are very enjoyable and low key, and the winery setting is beautiful.
