Winemaker Notes
In the mid-1960s, an agreement was made between Joe Heitz and Tom May to source Cabernet Sauvignon fruit from May’s small Oakville vineyard for Heitz wines. Ever since 1966, Heitz Cellar has been crafting the now illustrious Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, one of their three vineyard-designated Cabernet Sauvignons.
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
I had this wine twice over a period of thirty days, rating it an astounding 99 and 98 points. A monumental California Cabernet Sauvignon, it appears to have approached its plateau of maturity but should easily last for 20-25 more years. There is no rust, amber, or brown to the saturated dark purple color. The spectacular, huge, Mouton-Rothschild-like nose of mint, cassis, lead pencil, and toast is remarkably youthful. Staggeringly concentrated, this full-bodied, super-rich wine possesses moderate tannin, fresh, lively acidity, and a blockbuster, rich, fleshy finish. This is a monumental effort!
-
Wine Spectator
The iconic 1974 Cabernet Sauvignon Martha’s Vineyard showed well, with a fully mature, beautifully balanced, elegant style that carried incredible complexity in its minty darker fruits, eucalyptus, spice, and cedary aromas and flavors. There’s a kiss of volatile acidity that gives the wine plenty of lift, it’s medium to full-bodied, and is a classy, resolved, elegant wine that should be drunk up.
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.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
Home to some of the most sought-after Cabernet Sauvignon in America, Napa Valley’s Oakville district stretches across the center of Napa's valley floor and foothills between the Vaca and Mayacamas Mountains. This AVA is home to the legendary To Kalon Vineyard and Martha's Vineyard, as well as many powerhouse wineries including Screaming Eagle, Silver Oak, Robert Mondavi, Opus One, Far Niente and Groth.
The climate is generally warm and agreeable, resulting in year after year of favorable vintages. Summer days see a gentle tug of war between warmer inland air and the cool air coming in from the San Pablo Bay, creating an ideal environment to grow red varieties. Oakville's diverse soils, namely ancient sea bedrock, clay and gravel, are well-drained, and perfect for high-caliber viticulture.
Cabernet here is often bottled varietally but is also popular in Bordeaux Blends. Oakville wines are known for their silky, sensual textures, structured tannins, dark and brooding fruit and lovely aromatics. These age-worthy and prestigious wines are favored by collectors throughout the world.