Winemaker Notes
On the palate, the 2017 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon displays a variety of soft and elegant red fruits such as wild raspberry, ripe strawberry, and red currant. The undertones of Western Red Cedar and fresh turned potting soil evoke an old world earthiness that remains true to classic style of Cabernet Sauvignon from decades past.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Thick in black fruit, soy and leather, this is a concentrated and well-structured wine, showing plenty of ability to age. Sinewy and still tight, it shows the warmth of the vintage and underlying freshness that helps to balance and broaden. Enjoy best from 2027–2032.
Cellar Selection -
Wine Spectator
Reserved in style, with mint, tea and sandalwood aromas leading the way for a fine-grained core of damson plum and red currant coulis. A subtle savory edge winds through the finish, which lingers prettily. Drink now.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Heitz's 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon is predominantly St. Helena fruit, but it includes grapes from other AVAs as well. With its cherry notes and some darker, more cassis-like nuances, hints of dried herbs and dusty earth, it's pretty classic old-school Cabernet. Medium to full-bodied, it's linear, silky and fine, avoiding any sense of jammy excess.
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.