Smooth but pricy.

On the label:
"Hess Select cabernet sauvignon is a wine with soft tannins and youthful fruitiness. Traditional wine making techniques combined with aging in small oak barrels, both complement the naturally rich cabernet sauvignon flavors and create a wine with immediate appeal and exceptional value."

I have to take exception to the last line of the label - "exceptional value." For eleven dollars I was hoping for more character than this wine could provide. It is quite smooth and the taste is not unpleasant, but it just doesn't seem to have any pizzazz. If it were a car it would be a Toyota Corrola. Runs good, mechanically sound - but it's boring.

I may be too harsh with this wine. It is exceptionally smooth and may be just right for some people. I prefer a wild card element of gypsy mayhem.