Hess Select Wines Offer Refreshment At A Tasteful Price

Hess Select offers California goodness at a budget-friendly price.

Wines For The Time

During the coronavirus lockdown, there may be some who are noshing on caviar and sipping $1,000 Champagne from crystal goblets. Others, like most of us, have one eye on the latest virus news and the other on an eroding financial picture.

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It’s nice to know there are wines out there that can deliver compelling flavor without sinking the budget. We recently opened a pair of Hess Select wines that fill the bill quite nicely. We sampled the Hess Select 2019 California Rosé and California Pinot Gris.

Hess Select is the entry-level portfolio of wines for Hess. Hess Family Wine Estates is a wide ranging enterprise which features premium Cabernet Sauvignon from Mount Veeder as well as wines from a pair of estates in Argentina. Hess Select wines focus on affordable pricing and deliver better than expected quality and flavor. Both bottles have an SRP of just $12.

Keeping It Juicy

We’re cheerleaders for Pinot Gris, although our taste is partial to the Oregon style. The Hess Select Pinot Gris was a nice surprise. It has a medium body with a touch of acidity to keep it juicy. Grapefruit and lemon zest notes add to the refreshment.

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I found the wine to be perfectly enjoyable with our chicken entree. Some lower-priced California Pinot Gris can be nondescript and unrewarding, but this bottle hit all the varietal notes and for a mere song in terms of price.

This is the rosé season for us. With temperatures starting to ratchet up outside and with a COVID-19 lockdown in place, we are anxious to taste any wine that promises springtime smiles.

Both Select wines are from the California AVA, meaning grapes can come from anywhere around the state. The Hess Select Rosé is 100% Pinot Noir and upon the first sip, it lacks the finesse of a nice Provence rosé.

As we continued to sip, the flavor palette continued to emerge and I started to enjoy the wine more. This is a bit heavier than the Provence style and offers strawberry and peach flavors. The stainless steel aging means that the flavors are crisp and expressive. The ABV is 13.5%.

Both bottles are good buys for everyday sipping. Flavor and refreshment to help overcome the lockdown blues? That’s the best news we’ve heard in weeks.

Full disclosure: We received this wine as a marketing sample.