Heitz Cellar: Heitz Cellars was established in the Napa Valley in 1961 by Joe and Alice Heitz. The original Heitz winery was purchased on St Helena Road, where shortly thereafter, a larger property was acquired east of St Helena. Visitors to the Taplin Road location may enjoy a visit to the beautiful old stone cellar dating back to 1898. Heitz produces three vineyard designate Cabernets; Heitz Bella Oaks, Heitz Trailside and Heitz Martha's Vineyard. The distinct Heitz label is a fixture to most cabernets bottles with label exceptions made in 1974, 1985, and 1997 (in honor of Joe Heitz).
    

Heitz Cellar (Vineyard Designate Wines):

1974 Heitz Martha - RP 98 - 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!

1985 Heitz Martha - RP 94 In some tastings this wine has been controversial because it was alleged to have a damp, woody, musty character. In the March tasting (my seventh look at this brilliant wine), I found it once again to be clean and hardly controversial - unless explosive richness and ripeness, as well as
gobs of sweet fruit presented in a full-bodied, powerful style are objectionable. The wine was more developed and open than I expected. The mint/eucalyptus character, which can be extremely intense in the Martha's Vineyard cuvee, was presented in a subtle fashion. Expansive and chewy, with superb ripe fruit and concentration, this wine should continue to drink well for 10-20 years.