Heitz Cellar, Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

Low neck level. Relatively short cork which was soft but able to be removed intact via Durand. No evidence of seepage. Color ruby to garnet with translucent edge. Bottle was decanted and noted to have very little sediment. Wine was given about 20 minutes following decant before first pour. This was my first bottle of Heitz Martha's vineyard, I had deliberately sought out an older bottle in order to avoid some of the complaints about younger vintages and wanted a …

1982 vintage

For daughter Ana's 41st along with son in law Josh, Nita, son Joe & grandboys. Gave this a 4hr slow-ox in btl & 2 Riedel BDXs B4 dinner. Served in high 50s/low 60s. Immediately intriguing with cork pull but evolved positively with addl air. No decant / light sediment in base. Wow, this has really come together since my first of 2btls 9yrs earlier in Jan 2017! Very classy & complete 15yrs+ since release. This may be sweet spot for …

2005 vintage

Gorgeous rich polished silky mouthfeel. Medium plus body, good balance of fruit with the moderate structure. Red and black fruits initially, followed by a lovely smokiness with an enticing touch of tar. After an hour this shows strong menthol and violets. Long with some complexity. Drink now and over the next 20 years.

2009 vintage

Showing its age with a savory, slightly funky edge that at times recalls a Super Tuscan, layered over classic eucalyptus, dried herbs, and resolved dark fruit. Not pristine, but interesting and characterful, with tertiary complexity carrying the experience.

2009 vintage

SF Wine Tasting Meetup - Jan 2026 (San Francisco) : Martha's Vineyard is always a treat! Picked up notes of red plum, grapefruit, eucalyptus, and cherry. This has aged quite well, but also likely has a long way to go. 93 points.

2005 vintage

The fifth (!) of the 5 superstar cabs, Martha’s always shines for me, having had the ‘07 and ‘16 in the past 6 months or so. This edition is a bit darker, with some dark berries mixed in with red and black cherries, red currants, mixed spice garden led by mint, eucalyptus, cocoa husks and earthy minerality. Probably the most Old World of the bunch, there’s the always lovely balance and elegance of this bottling which, like the DC, never …

2005 vintage

Slow ox'd in bottle and drank across 5 hours at a wine event hosted by friends. The eucalyptus notes were evident here and lasted throughout the tasting, offering an interesting contrast to some of the other great cabs tasted ('97 Diamond Creek, '06 Abreu Madrona). Core of dark fruit and hints of tobacco and forest floor emerging with time and air. Drinking incredibly well and still very much alive with further aging potential.

2005 vintage

Extraordinary good wine with red fruit and smooth tannins. Well balanced, still has the fruit but with a mature soft mouth feel. One of better wines ever tasted

2000 vintage

Truly great. Expressive cherry fruit framed by subtle cocoa notes. The opening is leather-driven and earthy, slightly reserved at first, then gradually unfolding. With air, the wine gains remarkable smoothness and harmony, reaching peak form after around two hours in the glass. A stunning, fully mature expression showing depth, balance, and quiet power

2000 vintage

Phenomenal expression of Bordeaux style Napa Cabernet…sad that Heitz is a mere shadow of its elegant former self.

1982 vintage

Such a great wine, very reserved and understated while still complex and very well done . My only experience with Martha’s, I was hoping for some mint and eucalyptus but there was none of that. But plenty of forest floor, cassis, leather, and newly turned earth. Plenty of life left…kind of wish I would have left it another five years, as it was kind of seemed in an in between phase.

2007 vintage

Flemings for customer's retirement dinner. Had alongside an 08 Dom Perignon. Both did not disappoint. Cork crumbled and needed decanting and filtering, which probably helped it to be honest. These wine just feel like they live forever. Just the right balance of fruit and secondary/tertiary notes. Little plum and mint, forest floor, red fruits. High toned and elegant. This was my kind of Napa cab. Have with food or alone, it does not matter but the Tomahawk steak didn't suck …

2000 vintage

Decanted 1 hour. This wine went up against the 1982 Chateau Figeac. Like Figeac, it needed some air & time to show itself. On the nose, I got berries, eucalyptus mint, and herbal notes. Upon sipping, I tasted dark berries, herbal and mint. This wine showed way more fruit in smell and taste compared to the Figeac. I much preferred this wine and thought it certainly evolved better than the Figeac. I still think this wine can last another 5-10 …

1982 vintage

Love this wine. 16 years on and still a winner. Gorgeous color and aroma with that hint of mint you get from Martha's. Decanted 90 minutes and it was all coming together in the glass after that.

2009 vintage

Really enjoyed this. Well rounded and still lots of fruit. Martha’s mint front and center.

2009 vintage

One off from a private party purchase (hard to break out individual bottles, but about $100) 12 years ago. This bottle (8309) has been on my mind for several years, all the more so lately with the ‘16 at the recent tasting, as it was of keen interest but flashed several warning signals. I’m fairly sure this is the bottle I’ve been holding the longest, bought from a private party I’ve had less than 100% success with, and my storage …

2007 vintage

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2005 vintage

Dark fruits, balanced acidity, fully resolved and superfine tannins…but no eucalyptus. A Napa classic in its peak drinking window.

2007 vintage

Very good, but far from excellent. Everything is well-integrated and relatively balanced - except the alcohol. As another member noted, extremely alcoholic on the palate. Nice long finish.

2005 vintage

Sommelier Appreciation Dinner 2025 (RB Residence) : Fully mature complex nose displaying slightly dry sweet red fruit , plum, strawberry, a hint of cassis, strong eucalyptus, mint, jalapeno/slightly unripe fruit but not pyrazine, caramel, leather, cedar, sweet spices and earth. Very good concentration, sweet red fruit, lean and cool, bright acidity, earthy mineral, a medium to long mature red fruit driven finish with eucalyptus at the end. This is a classic Martha’s. The fruit has faded a bit, no need …

1968 vintage

Château Mouton Rothschild vertical (Freiheit Vinothek, Ulm, Germany) : Glass: Riedel Superleggero Champagne Tasted fully blind. All Mouton tasted are from the same cellar, purchased at release. Clear, deep ruby color. Interesting and certainly not Mouton nose with citrus peel, some burnt rubber, spices, licorice and menthol. On the palate very ethereal, some menthol and lots of red currant. Acidity is a bit sharp and biting. Good length. Seems to me like Napa. 90

2000 vintage

Continues to drink well with notes of expressive dark fruit, well balanced with nice finish. Paired with grilled dry aged ribeye steaks.

2005 vintage

We opened this up 2 hours before dinner, no decant. Served with Imperial Wagyu Beef Wellington. The color was deep red and the nose did not reveal any of the trademark Martha's mint. That mattered not as this bottle paired exceptionally well with our dinner, the wine's primary fruit was present and there were a few signs that wine will head into a more tertiary phase soon. 2 bottles left in my cellar and I think I'll wait a few …

2009 vintage

Stunning example of Heitz Martha's - 1 hour to breathe, in a beautiful window

2005 vintage

The most distinct nose of all the wines in tonight's line-up. Classic Martha's Vineyard with its signature eucalyptus/menthol nose and maybe even has a touch of brett? Nevertheless, great nose + great finish = great wine.

2005 vintage

Tastes quite alcoholic but the alcohol is only 14.5%. Tastes a little disjointed, as if the alcohol is not integrated. Beyond the alcohol there is a great concentration of blackcurrant fruit. There is also pleasant notable vanilla wood with some cedar notes. Long hot alcoholic finish, fairly straightforward. Presents as still young but I doubt this will ever resolve into a good wine.

2005 vintage

9x Heitz Martha‘s Vineyard (60s/70s/80s) : Tasting these wines from three decades underscores the vineyard's ability to produce long-lived, high-quality wines with remarkable consistency, perhaps unmatched in Napa Valley during those years. While there is a clear line through the decades the tasting showcased the many faces these wines have, as some were still vibrant and young while others were on an absolut peak. The 1978 vintage was the winner, earning a perfect 100pts for its mature complexity, including malt …

1968 vintage

9x Heitz Martha‘s Vineyard (60s/70s/80s) : Tasting these wines from three decades underscores the vineyard's ability to produce long-lived, high-quality wines with remarkable consistency, perhaps unmatched in Napa Valley during those years. While there is a clear line through the decades the tasting showcased the many faces these wines have, as some were still vibrant and young while others were on an absolut peak. The 1978 vintage was the winner, earning a perfect 100pts for its mature complexity, including malt …

1982 vintage

Heitz Martha's Vertical 1967-1987 : Unfortunately corked, but behind the cork you could feel how dense and concentrated the wine is. Lucky me that I have another bottle.

1968 vintage

Heitz Martha's Vertical 1967-1987 : Substantially younger than the 1978, this needed quite a bit of air in the decanter. It was showing fresh and young with nice red berries and herbal notes. This hasn't reached that sexy third maturity plateau that the Martha's have with the malt notes. So - depending on the bottle - I'd easily give this wine another 5-10 years to reach that and then another 20 years on that plateau. So I belive perfectly stored …

1982 vintage

Decanted 1.5 hrs. Notes of dark fruit: plum, black raspberry, with notes of damp earth and cedar. Tannins are well integrated with long finish.

2005 vintage

Still a young wine. Carafe have been necessary. Mouthful of eucalyptus, anise, then currant and plums. In a good spot but this as many years in bank.

2005 vintage

The nose starts out hugely voluminous but dominated by eucalyptus; though this mellows with air, it lets the other elements develop. The expanding raspberry fruit complements the eucalyptus and sandalwood beautifully. A tad short on the finish, which is a surprise given the expansiveness of the nose. Yet I only note it because it's unexpected - it's not enough to detract from a remarkable bottle.

1968 vintage

California Wine Weekend; 12/1/2023-12/3/2023 (Mos Eisley Cantina & Waterhouse Restaurant) : Nose: Blackberry, cassis, mint, cedar and dark raspberry and graphite all in the right doses. Such detail on the nose. Palate: Intense entry with fresh blackberry, eucalyptus, cedar and spice notes. Black fruit, garden soil and fresh picked mint. The feel is perfectly proportioned and has a silky texture with ripe rounded tannin. Finish: Detailed and long lasting. How is this wine 55 years old? The freshness the the …

1968 vintage

The drink window shown for this wine is way to long. In fact on my bottle, which has bee properly sored in a controlled cellar, I noticed that the flavors were getting a little soft (light). I would drink this wine now or in the next 2 years...ok, maybe 3, but I would not go much longer unless you prefer a very light wine. In general, I expect about 20 years from California cab grapes - can anyone document a …

2005 vintage

fuerte olor a alcohol. toca dejarlo respirar mucho (más de una hora)

2009 vintage

This was fantastic. From a well-stored magnum; opened about two hours prior to dinner and decanted approx 30 mins prior. Cork was soaked through and I was worried until I caught a whiff. Just gorgeous, classic, beautifully fallen apart Martha - not past it at all. If I find another one I will jump on it!

1982 vintage

Excellent nose and tasting young, full bodied

2005 vintage

not blind Even in this young stage very drinkable and enjoyable. Fruit driven, almost no tertiary aromas. No eucalyptus, no mint notes. The next 20 years. 97

2007 vintage

From magnum. Deep ruby with obvious fading at the rim. A particularly - and somewhat peculiarly - bellicose Martha's. On the nose this offers pretty classic aromas of dried black cherries, cassis, mint, pepper, a hint of black walnut and some hot, baked earth. On the palate this is medium bodied though expansive in texture, with just medium acidity. Its still quite forceful tannins ride over top of its black fruit, leather and eucalyptus flavors and the finish is notably …

2009 vintage

Dueling glasses of the 2009 and the 2010 at Gabriel Kreuther. Neck and neck but definitely two very different bottles. Both very pleasurable.

2009 vintage

Charleston Food & Wine Festival 2023; 3/2/2023-3/5/2023 (Charleston, SC (various locations)) : It’s a bit of baby killing but we weren’t sure if we were going to be able to make our annual dinner with friends and so we didn’t really prepare correctly to have the right wine for the occasion and had to go with something that was already onsite. A favorite of mine and while young it always shows really well. We just got a few bottles and …

2009 vintage

Allowed to breathe in glass 1 hour. Clear deep dark garnet color. Elegant subdued bouquet of mixed black and red fruits and their liqueurs; fennel, bay leaf, forest floor, hints of eucalyptus and cardamom. Little to none of the mintiness often found with this wine. Full body, excellent balance, seamless. Improved with air, held up fine under vacuum stopper in refrigerator, showing best on the third evening.

2000 vintage

It’s not outstanding. It should have been. In September 1999 we drove up US 1 in a convertible. Fantastic ride, but we were on a mission: pick up a case of Heitz Martha’s Vineyard and ship it back home to THE BOSS. We parked and rolled into the winery forgetting that Y2K was going to end the world. We sat at the bar, had some sips and slowly realized that this wine was over our heads. The credit cards were …

2005 vintage

Decanted 2 hours. This wine is evolving nicely, with notes similar to my last tasting 2 yrs ago. Medium to full body with notes of black cherry, raspberry, damp earth. Tannins are soft and well integrated. Nice mouthfeel with long satisfying finish.

2007 vintage

Opened in the bottle for a few hours. Very drinkable but surprisingly youthful. Dark fruited with some vegetal/earth notes. Old Napa style but leaning toward being full bodied.

2007 vintage

So elegantly poised and balanced - quite old world in style. Savory, dark fruit without any discernable oak, tannins have integrated nicely, but the structure overall is impeccable; would easily slip into a top tier BDX tasting (and do well in it). There's maybe a warmth of fruit and density of color that would tip pro tasters off, but I'd be happy to bet 9 of 10 of the rest of us would call this French if we were guessing …

2007 vintage

blind, in a flight with 67 and 69. This was Cabernet heaven. Not too much coke but enough to detect it. Delicious at his peak. Timeless elegant with some fruits left. Precise and dense finish. A perfect bottle of wine as I like it. 100

1968 vintage

I drank this side by side with MV '67 and '69. This was utterly perfect with lots of life left in it.

1968 vintage

Nose: blackcurrant jam, violet Notes: It is indeed a mistake to consume this bottle so early. It was an experiment to see if this wine is ready yet but unfortunately this bottle requires at least another 5 years of cellaring. Very full bodied with excellent aroma, it is difficult to spot much secondary notes in the wine even with 17 years of aging. Certainly it has not been an ideal result and even with the help of a decanter we …

2005 vintage

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Heitz Cellar, Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

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