x
  • Country ranking ?

    114
  • Producer ranking ?

    2
  • Decanting time

    2h
  • When to drink

    now to 2035
  • Food Pairing

    grilled meat

The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.

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Decanter Magazine scored this 97 points and said "No other Cabernet has the aromatic profile of Martha’s, its signature eucalyptus note being perennially present and well documented. It is quite floral for a Cabernet, with aromas of dried cherry blossom, fresh sage, dry earth and cocoa powder. Aged three years in French oak and an additional two in bottle before release, there is clear evidence of new oak, but in a deliciously creamy, enhancing way rarely found in modern Cabernet. The palate is juicy, clean, dark and deep all at once. Explosive and long on the finish, showing multidimensional layers of black fruits, fresh herbs and charred earth with stunning delineation. There isn’t a more definitive Cabernet Sauvignon in the world, at any price."

Wine & Spirits scored this 96 points saying "Extended bottle age at Heitz’s cellar is a long-term investment in a wine like this 2015 Martha’s Vineyard. Mysteriously, the wine manages to be plump and austere at once, like an aristocrat who’s a little soft in the middle but tough as nails. The vintage has the eucalyptus scent that famously marks this vineyard’s cabernet, a complex element in the midst of the wine’s fresh, bright red fruit and silken texture. Seriously grand Napa Valley cabernet, bristling with energy, this has a long life ahead."

Wine Spectator scored this 95 points saying "Enticing, with the frankly ripe profile of the vintage showing off in a display of slightly exotic plum and blackberry coulis flavors, while dark licorice, menthol and sassafras notes course through. Sweet spice accents sparkle through the finish, revealing a lingering hint of singed juniper. The long finish features rippling acidity."

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The Story

Martha's Vineyard Cabenet Sauvignon 
The distinguished legacy of Heitz Wine Cellars spans nearly half a century.

Founders Joe and Alice Heitz embarked on their illustrious journey in 1961 when there were fewer than a dozen wineries scattered across the Napa Valley. With the purchase of their first 8-acre vineyard just south of St. Helena, Joe’s years of intense study and experience quickly translated into a reputation for bold and brilliant winemaking.
That carefully nurtured reputation is thriving today with the second-generation. Siblings Kathleen Heitz Myers, president, and David Heitz, winemaker, have both been integral to the winery’s success for the past three decades.
Since 1964, this winemaking dynasty has operated from their 160-acre ranch and homestead in the eastern hills of St. Helena.

Heitz’ Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon has enjoyed flagship standing among the family’s esteemed portfolio of wines since Joe Heitz produced the first bottle in 1966.
In fact, Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet has been revered by wine lovers and collectors around the world for more than 40 years. Wine Spectator validated their opinion of this remarkable wine when they selected it as one of the Top 12 wines of the 20th Century.

The acclaim for Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet drew attention to the Napa Valley and helped to bring about international recognition of California wines. In 1997, the Heitz Family was invited to attend a history-making dinner in France hosted by Champagne Louis Roederer where Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet was honored as one of the “The World’s Thirty Greatest Wines”.

All of this fanfare had its beginnings in 1965 when the Heitz Family formed a special bond with Tom and Martha May. The Mays had been gifted with two memorable bottles of Heitz wines when they acquired their 34-acre Oakville vineyard in 1963. Although the couple wanted to concentrate on grape growing, they believed that their ranch near the Mayacamas foothills had “special dirt”, and they felt that their fruit warranted the attention of a top winemaker.
The Mays decided to make a visit to Heitz Wine Cellars where their opportune meeting with Joe and Alice marked the beginning of a treasured friendship and now-historic business relationship. That important connection continues today with the second generation of both families and the exclusive arrangement now includes the sibling team of Richard May and Laura May Everett.
The first harvest of the May’s vineyard yielded berries of incomparable quality. The unique character of Martha’s Vineyard inspired Joe and Tom to create the first vineyard designated wine in the Napa Valley – the 1966 Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.

“Dad wanted the pure essence from the vineyard to come across, and Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet has the become the most well-known around the world for its unique mintiness and aroma, the layers of complexity that it produces, and its dark, deep chocolate richness,” said Kathleen Heitz Myers.

The vineyard is farmed organically today and typically yields small, deep purple berries with highly intense flavor. The rows of vines are positioned on the western side of the valley where they revel in the morning sun and then cool slightly earlier than the valley floor. The farm is situated on a graveled alluvial plain surrounded by huge Eucalyptus trees which many believe to be the source of the wine’s distinctive minty taste and aroma.
Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet benefits from the Heitz Family’s signature aging process which proceeds at a carefully orchestrated pace for five years from vintage to release.

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Latest Pro-tasting notes

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Written Notes

Structured and powerful with chewy and firm tannins with a light vanilla and currant undertone. Full bodied. Juicy and savory. Luscious and intense yet polished. Tension, energy and wonderful length and brightness. Drinkable but needs another three to four years to come around.

  • 98p

2015 Heitz Cellar Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon / Ruby. Blackberries, anise, some spices, liquorice, vanilla, detailed and layered, stunning nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, some spices, detailed, layered and intense, rich, dense yet bright. Minty and long. 96

  • 96p
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Information

Origin

St. Helena, Napa Valley

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