Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (1990)
SommeliAI Insights
A classic Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon with rich flavors and a distinctive minty aroma.
About this wine
The 1990 Heitz Cellar Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon offers a deep ruby color with slight bricking at the edges, indicating its maturity. On the nose, it presents seductive notes of dark cherry, eucalyptus, cigar smoke, forest floor, and new leather. The palate is creamy and elegant, showcasing flavors of brambly cherry, red plum, tobacco, earth, dark chocolate, spice, and a hint of its signature minty eucalyptus. This wine is well-structured with silky tannins and a medium body, leading to a long, round, and flavorful finish. Notably, Heitz Cellar was among the first in Napa Valley to produce single-vineyard designated wines, with Martha's Vineyard being one of the most iconic examples.
About the grape
Cabernet Sauvignon, a grape known for its thick skins and small berries, thrives in Napa Valley's diverse climate and soils. In 1963, Tom and Martha May purchased a vineyard in Oakville, Napa Valley, which they named Martha's Vineyard. This vineyard, surrounded by eucalyptus trees, produces grapes that impart a distinctive minty aroma to the wine. In 1966, Joe Heitz of Heitz Cellar recognized the unique qualities of these grapes and began producing a single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from Martha's Vineyard, marking one of the first such designations in Napa Valley.
Quick facts
- 🍃 The 1990 Heitz Cellar Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is renowned for its distinctive minty and eucalyptus aromas, a hallmark of this vineyard's terroir.
- 🪵 This vintage was aged for one year in American oak tanks, followed by two and a half years in French Limousin oak barrels, contributing to its complex flavor profile.
- 🍷 The 1990 vintage is celebrated for its elegance and balance, with tasting notes highlighting flavors of blackcurrant, mint, vanilla, cedar, leather, and earthy undertones.
- 🏞️ Heitz Cellar's Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon was among the first single-vineyard designated wines in Napa Valley, emphasizing the unique characteristics of the vineyard's location.
- 🏆 The 1990 vintage has received high praise from critics, with John Gilman awarding it 95 points, noting its deep, complex bouquet and refined palate.
Palate profile
Producer
Heitz Cellar, established in 1961 by Joe and Alice Heitz, is a pioneering Napa Valley winery renowned for producing the region's first vineyard-designated Cabernet Sauvignon, the iconic Martha's Vineyard. In 2018, the Lawrence family acquired the estate, continuing its legacy of crafting classic wines from organically farmed vineyards. The winery's historic stone cellar, dating back to 1898, reflects its deep roots in Napa's winemaking heritage.
