Heitz Cellar, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

I agree with Kurt. It was still enjoyable to drink. 30 min decant is all it needed. Started to fade after an hour and a half.

1996 vintage

Past its prime. Probably 98 points 10 years ago.

1996 vintage

Amazed at how young this looked as I decanted it. Nose was muted at first, hard to get a read on things. Did a first taste which was tight and closed. Left is sit for hour before pouring the first glass. The color in the glass was an amazing plum, with hints of blue at the rim. Black fruits dominate the palate, with a solid finish giving me hints of chocolate, tobacco and cedar. By the second glass, the tannins …

2007 vintage

Not my style of Cab - very restrained, old world, but I appreciate it for what it is. If I didn’t know what I was drinking I would have guessed a mid-priced super-Tuscan. I remember it having a decent amount of acidity when it was young, but there is no acidity now. Tannins are gone too. Drink up now unless you want to wait for the mature notes to set in.

2012 vintage

A very good bottle of wine, perfumed nose and balanced flavor profile and finish. 🤌

2017 vintage

This was clearly well cellared. Cork came out clean and easy with only about 1/4" saturation. Decanted for sediment, which was minimal. In the glass, the wine appears deep garnet with surprisingly minimal bricking toward the rim. On the nose, cherry, plum, leather, tobacco, and some mild herbaceous notes (but not pyrazine). Very little dustiness here. On the palate, started muted, but opened up with about 20-30 minutes in the glass. Surprisingly fresh and lively with rich but refined fruit …

1992 vintage

A night of finishing coravined 07’s. A purchase on the secondary market about 8 plus months ago. Its storage not what mine would show at this point. It’s farther advanced from what it should be at this stage, but still enjoyable. Showing some liqueur notes. I feel similarly about this producers Napa Cabernets as I do Joseph Phelps. There’s differences and I lean into Phelps Napa over most of the Heitz Napa’s. The nose shows baked & slightly stewed fruits …

2007 vintage

Excellent bottle! Fresh and vibrant. Served at cellar temp, popped and poured and I think it could have used a decant. But it showed good density and plenty of blackcurrant fruit remaining at age 18. No rush but I felt it was ready to enjoy!

2007 vintage

This was a Martha's Vineyard label. Would easily have been mistaken for a Bordeaux, except that the eucalyptus and mint and other herbs is so strong one might think it's a Martha's Vineyard ringer. This bottle had a touch of something bacterial, but it seemed to go away after time. Rough silk.

1992 vintage

Old world Cabernet. At or near peak in my opinion. Tannins very soft Drink up

2012 vintage

I treated myself to this library wine from K&L at $100 plus tax. I had very fond memories of the '09 and hoped this might be similar. Sure enough, this delivered. It's possible it's at its peak, or not far after it, as this had masses of lovely fruit alongside a perfect dryness on the finish, along with a slightly medicinal note I sometimes pick up from Heitz. I generally find that this producer is very underwhelming when tried young …

2008 vintage

Pnp. Opened for a buddy who was visiting. What a tremendous wine. Very understated, not a big punch in the mouth. I've seen this described as an old world cab, which from lack of oak, I'd say I'd agree with. Ruby in the glass. Dark cherry and faint cigar box on the nose that carried over to the palate. Soft tannins barely present. Super smooth and perfectly balanced. I have 1 bottle of Heitz left, a Trailside Vineyard, and it's …

2012 vintage

As a traditionally harsh critic of napa cabs and bordeaux fiend, this is a pretty cool and intriguing bottle of wine. It's got a light profile all of the way through and this bottle was showing tons of red berries, almost to the point of cranberries--which could totally be result of light footedness. Fine sediment throughout, but likely a result of PNP'ing an ride in the car from the office. I'd say drink or hold -- it would be a …

2017 vintage

One hour decant - wow, tonight this wine reminded me of why I started in the wine hobby after my first Heitz in 2015. Absolutely spectacular, and we drank this on it's own with barely an appetizer. Fruit, tannins, acid all in balance. Loved it - sadly the last of my regular 2017 Heitz Cabs. Somehow, Heitz demonstrates that in a bad crop year, "a skilled craftsman can carve beauty even from the roughest wood." These guys did it, just …

2017 vintage

WOTN on the New Years Day wine sampling. Lush fruit, great balance. Heitz is always a top and reliable performer.

2017 vintage

Excellent. Dark fruit, balanced tannins. Paired with wagu and mushroom risotto.

1993 vintage

1 1/2 hour decant and this is singing. Barnyard smell out of the gate. Took about 45 mins to show where it was going. Well worth the wait for the price.

2008 vintage

Fruit driven. Slight sweetness. Slightly alcoholic. 14.5 vol. Not long.

2017 vintage

During a Merchant tasting. Consistent to my last encounter, Lots of dark fruit, cassis, eucalyptus. Good tannic bite, precise. Nicely Bordeauesque. Excellent QPR

2017 vintage

drank this a few weeks ago so no details, but this is a classic old style Napa cab. Very restrained but also very nuanced. Not for the Cali fruit seekers, but nice for those who appreciate old world style. Great with food.

2012 vintage

Pretty much in line with most of the other reviewers here: nice bottle, peak drinking, and reasonable value for the money. Color is medium red with not much bricking and starting to show some translucence. Nose was kind of average with dark red fruit showing well but not much secondary that can overcome the oak (which is present, but not over abundant). But overall, it held together well over the course of the evening. We tasted this with some really …

2008 vintage

Vanilla and toasty just really well balanced black fruit etc big

2017 vintage

Gorgeous blackberries, plums, cherries on the nose. Continues on the palate with integrated barrel flavors and polished tannins. Medium body, medium acid, balanced, and mid- complexity. A true pleasure. Such an easy wine to enjoy.

2017 vintage

Another very good bottle of this. Old-schoolish Napa with good freshness.

2017 vintage

Another beautiful Old School Napa Cabernet. Succulent black cherry intensity hovers over savory notes of earth, conifer, and eucalyptus. This is really well made, showing lovely structure, weight, and textural elegance, with beautiful tension between bottle age maturity, bright focus, and youthful vigor. It is so keenly balanced yet never stops evolving in the glass. It is starting to peak and will stay at the top for at least a decade and beyond.

2008 vintage

TCA. 2 out of 3 bottles. 1 good bottle was phenomenal for the price. Too bad.

2007 vintage

AW93. Baby Martha, this was a PNP and brought back memories of tasting the 07 Martha in Zurich last year. This was clearly a fantastic vintage across the Heitz portfolio and in Napa. This estate bottling is more delicate, floral and with less weight than its older sister, but fantastic to sip and enjoy and will look to pick up more as exceptional QPR.

2007 vintage

At peak, classic napa cab with very good fruit, well integrated oak and some sweetness

2008 vintage

Quite frankly not a favorite. Oaky but a bit thin. Would have liked more body and taste of berries. There is better out there for that price.

2017 vintage

Different source than my storage on this one. I compare the Heitz Napa to the Joseph Phelps Napa in many ways. I believe the Phelps is slightly less vintage dependent than Heitz. But, this 07 like the vintage in Napa, sensational. This 2007 is peaking. Perfectly ripe & juicy; brambly blackberries, creamy black raspberries, black plum, dark cherries/kirsch, blueberries come on late and poached strawberries on the edges. The tannins are still dark and tarry. Rich, sweet, dark soils, mid …

2007 vintage

First bottle a week or so ago was tainted with TCA. This one was great, though. Tannins have softened, as well as the fruit, and have left behind an elegant, delicate wine. Hour 2 and 3 were the highlights.

2007 vintage

showing lots of oak at first, comes together after about 1.5 - 2 hours of air. red fruit profile, still present tannins. i like it but the retail has gone away up since purchase

2017 vintage

Gorgeous. Restrained yet demonstrating a generosity of ripe fruit. medium plus body. Long finish, some complexity. Has the structure for last for a long time. Drinking now.

2008 vintage

I very much agree with “Somm David T” notes below…. I’m glad I have older Bottles as the family sold out and I worry about the quality in newer vintages. (I feel like we lost a part of history) Sight: No sediment in the bottle, beautiful medium ruby color, light staining on the glass. Nose: I love this style and right away the bouquet in the glass tells you what to expect! I saw someone say Barolo like and I …

2012 vintage

Fruity (both red and black, a lot of plum) and quite some greenness. The oak is on the lighter side for a napa cab. Bold on the palate, intense punch of fruit with some tobacco and spices. High alcohol and acidity, chalky tannins. Overall not bad but not too interesting, lacking structure and complexity.

2017 vintage

Decanted 30-45 minutes. Dark fruit, leather. Medium bodied. Paired well with a prime rib dinner and well after on its on.

2017 vintage

Somewhat light bodied after all this time in the cooler. Floral with a hint of sweetness, very smooth and a perfect compliment to an Italian meal

2007 vintage

Dark fruit, leather, eucalyptus and some vegetable notes yielding a rather masculine, concentrated and animal character overall. Good concentration on the palate supported by a solid acid structure, although lacking on the mid palate.

2017 vintage

This.is really singing. Still young with notes of oak (vanilla, sweet spices) but also plenty of fruit, dark notes like cassis, dark cherries, some earthy notes, leather and some eucalyptus and dried herbs. Medium-full bodied, with medium+ tannin and some medium-high acidity. Nice length. Just overall a very nice Napa Cab with a reasonable QPR. Beautiful.

2017 vintage

Consistent with notes from almost two year ago: elegant, precise, and smooth. This is a medium-bodied wine with fine-grained tannins but still strong acidity, so it gained fat and body with air (3+ hours in the decanter). Paired nicely with NY Strips. Drink 2023-2027. Technical score: 92. Enjoyment score: 92.

2012 vintage

Needes a an hour to open up. Fruity, big tannins, can almost drink now and for years.

2017 vintage

Lots fo dark fruit, cassis, eucalyptus. Good tannic bite, precise. This one could also do well as a pirate in a Bordeaux flight. 92-94

2017 vintage

Color, faint clear red; 1st nose, herbs; 2nd nose, raisin stems and sour cherries. On the palate, smooth and structured with medium to long finish.

1988 vintage

Very young but with loads of potential

2017 vintage

Heitz is an absolute, long term favorite. Never had a bad bottle in 40 years. The problem I've got with this note, is that recently, I had a 2003 Diamond Creek, and a 2012 Heitz Martha's. Both made in the same way, but different. (So, this wine truly hasn't got a freaking chance, because my expectation bias is on high alert!!) Also, with scores in the 90s on this wine seen from my CT brethren, it makes me question, more …

2017 vintage

2012 was a good vintage but was never going to age as many thought. That is not to say this 2012 is not in perfect form now. Still not happy the family cashed out and sold this Napa pioneer winery to a corporation that had no previous wine experience. As well, eliminated the last free tasting in Napa, which included their Maratha’s Vineyard. These corporations pay a top price for these grand wineries and then squeeze it. That’s just what …

2012 vintage

On the elegant side for a Napa cab. Maybe 1-hour of air was all it needed. More red fruited: raspberry, currant. Well incorporated oak, subtle mocha notes. Lovely herbal/mint too. Good length, good balance.

2017 vintage

Textbook Napa Cabernet. First sip upon pop ‘n’ pour was spot on. Now on day 3. Deeeep cherry, faint vanilla, some pencil lead. Peaking now I’m guessing. Drink!

2007 vintage

This is at the end of its prime, I would say. Very enjoyable. Great cab.

2008 vintage

Seemed a little acidic

2017 vintage

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Heitz Cellar, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

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