1999 Hess Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

It’s hard to beat the 1999 Hess Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon for value. Here’s a Cab that’s about $20, yet every grape is grown on the estate’s vineyards on Mount Veeder and Napa Valley. Hess isn’t going for blockbuster status here: This is a wine for drinking now, quite delicious with its notes of cedar and cassis and chocolate. Because it’s not ponderous, this may be the perfect Cabernet for washing down those charred steaks straight from the barbecue. Why can’t more California wineries make Cabernets for under $20 this seductive?

*

Region: Napa Valley

Price: About $20

Style: Seductive and full of character

Food it goes with: Steaks and chops

Where you find it: Available at fine wine shops and retailers