Cabernet Sauvignon “Iron Corral”, Hess Collection, Napa Valley, CA, 2021

Professional Ratings

• 92 Wine Spectator
  Youthfully compact in feel, this has some juicy, coiled up energy behind its core of blackberry and red currant fruit. Brambly grip and a roasted apple wood edge help drive the finish. Some short-term cellaring should let this round into form. Best from 2025 through 2035. 3,150 cases made.
• 91 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

  Named for a Pope Valley vineyard acquired by the Hess family in 2019, the 2021 Hess Collection Cabernet Sauvignon Iron Corral is a blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7.5% Malbec, 2% Petit Verdot and 1.5% Petite Sirah. Blackberries and black cherries mark the nose, joined by hints of vanilla and cedar (maturation was 18 months in 40% new oak). Ripe and fruity, this full-bodied offering is softly dusty and approachable young, but it has enough tannins to think it will age for up to a decade from the vintage.

• 90 James Suckling

  One third Mt. Veeder and two thirds Pope Valley grapes from the winery’s estate properties go into this robust, generously fruity but structured wine. Black cherries and blueberries with cocoa powder tannins. Aged in 40% new French oak, blended with malbec, petit verdot and a dash of petite sirah.