Drink now or cellar for up to 15 years. No need to decant before serving. Wine enthusiast and art lover donald hess first fell in love with napa’s mountainous vineyards in the 1970s while visiting for a business trip. He then returned to launch a full-blown search of the region, looking for the perfect terroir to found his very own winery here. In 1978 he purchased 900 acres which today form the core of the hess estate on the wild frontiers of the napa valley. This striking red is named lion tamer after head winemaker dave guffy’s habit of using malbec fruit to soften the tannins and power of the mountain cabernet sauvignon. Fruit is sourced from prized mountain vineyards on the estate, with the young wine spending 20 months ageing in french and american oak barrels before bottling. Enticing hints of ripe plum, dark cherry and bitter chocolate immediately burst out of the glass, followed by undertones of woodsmoke, tobacco leaf, and warming spice. On the palate there’s a generous full body, smooth yet firm tannins, and a solid core of dark fruit that lingers on the tongue. The careful balance of power and elegance makes this a great wine to enjoy now with red meat dishes, although it can also be cellared for a decade or more.
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