Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
From the famous Oakville site, this aged wine spends three years in 100% new French oak, one in neutral oak and an additional year in bottle. Though it has had time to evolve, it has years to go to unfurl its core of eucalyptus, mint and cedar. It shows an unmistakable crispness of red fruit, orange peel and stone, all honed by a grippy, generous palate. Enjoy 2024– 2034.
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Decanter
Martha’s Vineyard is one of the most famous vineyards in the US, and the 2014 vintage from this hallowed site is as good as it gets for Napa Valley Cabernet. At every turn it exudes class, structure and a definitive air. Aromatically it commands you to pay attention; the palate will give you no choice. A thunderous wine in every dimension, giving off its classic mint and eucalyptus notes with perfectly harnessed power. The finish is a showstopper in its length and persistence. Tasted across five days, it was constantly on the ascent for the first two and a half, and perfectly enjoyable on the fourth. A true work of art.
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Vinous
Another superb wine in this range, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Martha’s Vineyard offers terrific freshness and verve. Thyme, bay leaf, blood orange, mint and bright red-toned fruit are all beautifully delineated in the glass. The 2014 presents all the classic Martha's signatures, along with striking purity of fruit and the greater refinement that is typical of the wines today.
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Wine Spectator
Intense for the piercing beam of raspberry and red currant coulis flavors, this is distinctive, offering racy star anise, sassafras, mint and rooibos tea accents. Very focused through the finish. Drink now through 2040.
Renowned for crafting Napa Valley's first cult wines, Heitz Cellar is globally recognized as the crown jewel of American wine. The timeless post-Prohibition style of winemaking endures with esteemed winemaker, Brittany Sherwood, producing elegant and balanced wines sourced from 100% organic and biodynamic Napa Valley fruit. Pioneering pure varietal, single-vineyard wines that can age for decades, including the iconic Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Heitz Cellar wines hail from the region’s most premier vineyard sites including Oakville, Rutherford, Howell Mountain, St. Helena, and Oak Knoll. Family-owned since its founding in 1961, Heitz Cellar continues to embody the artistry and legacy of classic winemaking with single-vineyard wines that position it as one of the world’s leading wine estates.
One of the most prestigious wines of the world capable of great power and grace, Napa Valley Cabernet is a leading force in the world of fine, famous, collectible red wine. Today the Napa Valley and Cabernet Sauvignon are so intrinsically linked that it is difficult to discuss one without the other. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that this marriage came to light; sudden international recognition rained upon Napa with the victory of the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1976 Judgement of Paris.
Cabernet Sauvignon undoubtedly dominates Napa Valley today, covering half of the land under vine, commanding the highest prices per ton and earning the most critical acclaim. Cabernet Sauvignon’s structure, acidity, capacity to thrive in multiple environs and ability to express nuances of vintage make it perfect for Napa Valley where incredible soil and geographical diversity are found and the climate is perfect for grape growing. Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that express specific characteristics based on situation, slope and soil—as a perfect example, Rutherford’s famous dust or Stags Leap District's tart cherry flavors.