Winemaker Notes
Layers of white peach and crisp citrus come together on the palate with the polished exuberance of a dazzling summer day. Refreshing acidity keeps the wine focused and a tiny zing of pineapple adds to the satisfying finish. A brilliant opener for your next gathering with friends, the simple things in life are sometimes the best.
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
Organically farmed at an estate vineyard on Howell Mountain, this sauvignon blanc grows at the lower elevations, in rocky, alluvial soils, at 750 feet. The freshness of the site comes through in citrus scents of grapefruit and tangerine, the full-bodied ripeness of Napa Valley fruit presented here in a clean white, its acidity integrated into a green-apple snap and spiciness that races through the finish. Pour it with seafood sausage.
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Wine Enthusiast
Made from certified organic grapes, this wine offers a strong uplift of acidity and refreshing layers of tangerine, white peach and Meyer lemon. With just enough grip and body it has complexity amid the freshness. Editors’ Choice
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: Heitz Cellar has changed, and this evolution is for the better. At a recent trade tasting, I tasted a half-a-dozen of their wines and was pleasantly surprised with their white wines. The 2012 Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon was outstanding, as expected, but the 2017 Sauvignon Blanc took high honors in my book. TASTING NOTES: This wine is fresh and alive. Its aromas and flavors of ripe melon and bright citrus makes it an excellent choice with a bowl of steamed clams accented with lemongrass and mild chilies peppers. (Tasted: August 20, 2018, San Francisco, CA)
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Wine Spectator
Sleek, with mouthwatering pomelo, grapefruit and tangerine flavors that are precise and juicy. Shows terrific focus on the refreshing finish, where hints of lemon verbena come in, lingering effortlessly.
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.
Capable of a vast array of styles, Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, refreshing variety that equally reflects both terroir and varietal character. Though it can vary depending on where it is grown, a couple of commonalities always exist—namely, zesty acidity and intense aromatics. This variety is of French provenance. Somm Secret—Along with Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc is a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. That green bell pepper aroma that all three varieties share is no coincidence—it comes from a high concentration of pyrazines (herbaceous aromatic compounds) inherent to each member of the family.
One of the world's most highly regarded regions for wine production as well as tourism, the Napa Valley was responsible for bringing worldwide recognition to California winemaking. In the 1960s, a few key wine families settled the area and hedged their bets on the valley's world-class winemaking potential—and they were right.
The Napa wine industry really took off in the 1980s, when producers scooped up vineyard lands and planted vines throughout the county. A number of wineries emerged, and today Napa is home to hundreds of producers ranging from boutique to corporate. Cabernet Sauvignon is definitely the grape of choice here, with many winemakers also focusing on Bordeaux blends. White wines from Napa Valley are usually Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that claim specific wine characteristics based on situation, slope and soil. Farthest south and coolest from the influence of the San Pablo Bay is Carneros, followed by Coombsville to its northeast and then Yountville, Oakville and Rutherford. Above those are the warm St. Helena and the valley's newest and hottest AVA, Calistoga. These areas follow the valley floor and are known generally for creating rich, dense, complex and smooth red wines with good aging potential. The mountain sub appellations, nestled on the slopes overlooking the valley AVAs, include Stags Leap District, Atlas Peak, Chiles Valley (farther east), Howell Mountain, Mt. Veeder, Spring Mountain District and Diamond Mountain District. Napa Valley wines from the mountain regions are often more structured and firm, benefiting from a lot of time in the bottle to evolve and soften.