Photo courtesy of Heitz Cellar

Legendary Heitz Martha’s Vineyard
Wine Spectator’s #3 Wine of the 2021

So much is new at Heitz Cellar. So much is just still the same.

One thing is for sure, Heitz Martha’s Vineyard is one of Napa Valley’s greatest sites for Cabernet Sauvignon. This legendary cuvée and vineyard easily would classify as a First Growth or Grand Cru if Napa Valley would ever have such a system.

The 2016 Heitz Martha’s Vineyard is without question the finest expression of this wine in twenty years perhaps even fifty years. This old-school bending Cabernet Sauvignon from the premier vineyard of Oakville is the perfect wine for the Heitz family to end their stewardship of the property with. Many call this the next 1974 Martha’s Vineyard, while many applaud this wine for bringing Heitz back to prominence, calling it a much needed modern upgrade. 

For us, this is just pure classic Martha’s Vineyard from a tremendous vintage. The last few vintages, we have seen the wines have a bit more body and weight, but from our tastings and research it is mostly a result of the vineyard and vines on how they have performed and aged. The touch in the cellar may have rounded the wines out a tad more, but these are Heitz thoroughbred through and through - making the 2016 one of the last great vintages made by Heitz before their sale to Gaylon Lawrence.

Lawrence and his team lead by Master Sommelier Carlton McCoy are approaching Heitz with a very similar approach employed at Mayacams just over ten years ago when Bob Travers handed over the winery to new owners and winemaker Andy Erickson. Don’t change a thing. Take care of the vineyards, invest in their health, be more selective and demanding of the grapes and simply harness the best you can of the vintage. It seems simple, yet in wine it is probably the hardest thing to achieve. Lawrence and McCoy thus far have shown they have what it takes and have taken the path to furthering the success of Heitz Cellar today.

For now they have one of the greatest vintages of Martha’s Vineyard as a roadmap to guide them as they embark on the next great era at Heitz Cellar and we now have a phenomenal wine to enjoy over the next five decades.

2016 Heitz Cellar Martha’s Vineyard is more than just Wine Spectator’s #3 Wine of the Year, it is the modern-day benchmark of one of the greatest vineyards in all of Napa Valley. It is the final chapter in one legacy and the beginning of a new era. It is a testament to the history of Napa Valley, bridging time and modernization. It is a wine that transcends Napa Valley and winemaking eras - as it is simply Heitz Martha’s Vineyard. 

Cheers,
Jeremy