Heitz Cellar Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
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Wine &
Spirits - Decanter
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James
Suckling -
Wine
Enthusiast
Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
A very inviting wine with rich aromas of boysenberry, cassis and mint all tightly woven around a sweet core. On the palate this Cabernet is firm with rich, savory notes of cigar box and chocolate, culminating in a silky finish. A compelling and flavorful wine.
As always, this release will reward patient cellaring.
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
The remarkable aspect of this wine is its texture and weight, its flavors complete and fully concentrated into something as ephemeral as the brush of a silk scarf. It's a gracious Cabernet, sunny but not sweet - distinctly savory in the way its tannins cool the bright red fruit. This vineyard tucked into the western benchlands of Oakbille benefits from the cooler morning sun, the vines organically farmed on alluvial gravels by the May family. Whatever eucalyptus influence there may be from the trees surrounding the vines reads in this vintage as green olive and black licorice rather than mintiness. As W&S senior editor Luke Sykora pointed out, "this has a gentle firmness, what people initially liked about Napa Valley Cabernet in the 1950s and '60s."
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Decanter
One of Napa Valley's classics, Martha's Vineyard is a legendary site in west Oakville at the foot of the Mayacamas Mountains. Heitz's 2010 rendition opens up with fragrant black fruit, mint chocolate and rich soil tones, revealing supple, layered tannins and bright acidity on the palate. Like all the Heitz wines, this is unmistakably fresh and savoury.
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James Suckling
Violets and blue fruits. Thai mint and basil. Full-bodied, very tight and long. Tangy and beautiful. Tight and fresh acidity. Beautiful and so drinkable. From organic grapes. Drink now or hold.
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Wine Enthusiast
The mighty Martha's spends three-and-a-half years aging in French Limousin oak barrels. It has years to go, its structure so expertly captured in the bottle, yet still willing to impart a lightness of sage and sarsaparilla, the tannins firm and integrated, with slight hints of cigar, coconut and that ever-famous mint. Drink now through 2025.
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Family owned since its founding in 1961, Heitz Cellar’s legacy runs as deep as the roots throughout the Napa Valley; a winery legend that has helped shape the history of Napa Valley winemaking. In the late 1950’s, pioneering vintner Joe Heitz ushered in Napa’s modern era with his iconic, globally celebrated wines, including Napa Valley’s first vineyard-designated Cabernet Sauvignon, the renowned Heitz Cellar Martha’s Vineyard. Fifty-eight years of the Heitz family’s dedication to viticulture, stewardship, and classic winemaking, maintained the winery’s notoriety as a benchmark amongst its peers in California and Europe.
In April, 2018, Heitz Cellar entered an exciting new chapter as this rich legacy was passed into the hands of the Lawrence family, whose deep roots in agriculture and commitment to the same core values of fine winemaking made it a perfect match. The wines are made with an unwavering commitment to quality from organically farmed, 100% Napa Valley fruit, and a commitment to the sustainability of Napa Valley.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
Home to some of the most sought-after Cabernet Sauvignon in America, Napa Valley’s Oakville district stretches across the center of Napa's valley floor and foothills between the Vaca and Mayacamas Mountains. This AVA is home to the legendary To Kalon Vineyard and Martha's Vineyard, as well as many powerhouse wineries including Screaming Eagle, Silver Oak, Robert Mondavi, Opus One, Far Niente and Groth.
The climate is generally warm and agreeable, resulting in year after year of favorable vintages. Summer days see a gentle tug of war between warmer inland air and the cool air coming in from the San Pablo Bay, creating an ideal environment to grow red varieties. Oakville's diverse soils, namely ancient sea bedrock, clay and gravel, are well-drained, and perfect for high-caliber viticulture.
Cabernet here is often bottled varietally but is also popular in Bordeaux Blends. Oakville wines are known for their silky, sensual textures, structured tannins, dark and brooding fruit and lovely aromatics. These age-worthy and prestigious wines are favored by collectors throughout the world.