Only available at the winery.
Bought last March on my visit to Napa

This is the last year that Hess made a meritage. I opened this 1 hour before serving. I did not decant it. It a nutshell this is pure velvet in a glass. The primary flavors of plum, strawberry, cassis, and soft wood were beautifully integrated with just the right amount of drying tannins. As with the '96 Cab, this is drinking beautifully right now. I would recommend that if you have any of this, that you drink it in the next two years. It may last longer than that but, I think that the fruit will start to fade. The seamless velvety texture was very refreshing considering I have been drinking young wines lately with a fair amount of tannic backbone.

I would rate this wine 92-93 points. I still think that Hess is making some of the best red wines under $40 in the US. I paid $34 for this at the winery. I wish I had more.

IW

Life without wine?...... Yeah Right.<br /><br />I believe we have 2 lives; the life we learn with and the life we live with after that.

You can still buy it from the winery. You can order it directly from them if you are in a state that can be shipped to. I tasted this just a couple weeks ago at the winery and thought it was very good also. You're very right that they are making some very, very good wines, and don't seem have to have jumped on the price bandwagon. I also tasted and '83 reserve cab. It was definitely mature CA cab, but was not over the hill at all. Still was drinking very well. After tasting, and talking with the guy pouring, found out that they had opened the wine the evening before! Held up very well for a 19 yr old wine...one from a so-so vintage.

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IW,
I'll file this in the you-learn-something-new-every-day folder.
As much as I like Hess, I didn't know it made a meritage. Something I must seek out.
Thanks for the heads up.

Cheers!
And remember: Life's too short to drink bad wine.

That makes two of us KOH.

I, also, never knew that Hess made an meritage.

Doc....

KOH,

For some reason they stopped making the Meritage with the '96 vintage. I wish they had continued with it, because trying this wine from the grapes of the excellent '97 vintage in Napa would have been a real treat. As Valenciawineguy pointed out this wine is still available at the winery. Unfortunately they will not ship to me, because I live in the felony state of Kentucky. BTW I am still trying to make arrangements to come to NO in July for the big gathering. Are there still open spots available?

IW

Life without wine?...... Yeah Right.<br /><br />I believe we have 2 lives; the life we learn with and the life we live with after that.

IW:

I was there last March and tasted the 96 meritage as well, was impressed enough to buy a couple and carry back. They also had the 83 Hess Col. open when I was there and I was impressed with how well it had held up, but it was a little past it's prime I think. They had the 83 Reserve (another only avaialble at winery deal I believe) for sale so I got one of those. I need to open that soon, this has served to remind me of that.

CabNut

IW,
Yes. We're at about 55 give or take. Have a May 4 deadline for forumites to commit. Will fill in with New Orleanians after that date.
Need 68 hands on deck to max out Friday dinner at Gabrielle.

Cheers!
And remember: Life's too short to drink bad wine.

I have always enjoyed Hess wines and find them to be consistantly good. Just posted notes on the 98 Collection Cab, a really nice 98.

I will be spending a week in Napa this May and have Hess on my list of places to visit. I will grab some Meritage, as I have seen it on their website and was hoping it would be available (My wife loves good Meritage! ) and am also interested in the 98 Collection Cabernet reserve. Anyone had this? I'm sure it's awsome.

Italian Wino,

They actually haven't stopped making the Meritage. It's only made in years when there is sufficient grapes of excellent quality that they feel it merits making the wine, and still have enough to produce the Collection and Reserve Cabernets. Hence, they only make it a few years per decade. There was sufficient fruit in 1996 to make all three wines. I spoke to a tasting director at the winery who explained that this was the case. Their bread and butter is the cabernet wines, and therefore those take precedence on grape sourcing.

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Valencia,

Thanks for the update. Hopefully they will have a meritage bottling in the very near future. I have never had any of Hess' Reserve wines. What do they normally sell for?

IW

Life without wine?...... Yeah Right.<br /><br />I believe we have 2 lives; the life we learn with and the life we live with after that.

Italian,

They 1997 Reserve was still the current wine the last time I visited. I don't remember if it was
$70 or $75. I bought one that we tried with dinner...it was excellent (sorry no real TN since it was June 2002..too long ago.) Considering what most Napa producers are now charging for their standard wines, the Hess Collection wines offer a relatively good value. They also seem to stand the test of time, as I noted with the '83 Reserve they were pouring in the tasting room, and my own '89 Reserve that still had plenty of life to it.

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