Hess Persson Estates
Mount Veeder Cabernet since 1978, bottled three ways, with a contemporary art collection you can walk through between pours. Thursday to Monday, by appointment.
Why go
The family has farmed this Mount Veeder estate since 1978, in the western hills above the valley floor.1 Two generations have made wine here under three labels: The Hess Collection, Lion Tamer and Panthera.1 The grapes are mountain-grown Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Malbec.1 The art is the reason to give it longer than a flight: the house keeps a contemporary collection on site and expects you to walk it.1 If you would rather be outdoors, there is an ATV tour up through the vineyards.1
Order this / avoid
- Order: across the three labels in one sitting. Same mountain, three prices.1
- Order: the ATV tour if the weather holds and you want to see the high blocks.1
- Avoid: a Tuesday or Wednesday drive up Redwood Road. The estate is shut.1
Good to know
- Hours: Thursday to Monday, by appointment. Book online or call the concierge.1
- Price: the winery publishes none on its front page. Ask when you book.
- Two domains: the front page is hesspersson.com and the shop, visit and club pages sit on hessperssonestates.com.1
- Hygiene: not established. No inspection instrument for this county is on file here.
Verdict
could-visit — The family has farmed Mount Veeder since 1978 and bottles it three ways, as The Hess Collection, Lion Tamer and Panthera, so you can taste the same mountain at three different prices in one sitting. The art museum on the property is the thing that makes this estate different from every other high-elevation Cabernet house in the western hills, and it is the one to head for when the weather turns. There is an ATV tour up into the vines if you would rather be outside. No price is published and no critic was read, so the rung sits on what you can do rather than on what the wine does.