Here’s a spicy little number from Hess Collection. Deep black fruit sits just behind a huge nose of fall spice — cinnamon, nutmeg, flowers, and a touch of pepper leading you to a palate that shows its youth, gripping your gums, yet allowing a nice dried-herb component to speak through the fruit and spice. Decant it, or age it a while, and enjoy with spicy beef or game. A Platinum Award winner at the 2014 Sommelier Challenge.
Hess Collection, Napa Valley (California) Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
By Rich Cook