Heitz makes great wines.  Readers of this web site know how much I like the Bella's Oak Vineyard cabs from Heitz, and for a splurge I will drink a bottle of the Heitz Trailside Vineyard.  But when money is no object, there are few California cabs that can match the Heitz Martha's Vineyard.  Much of the vineyard was wiped out from the Phylloxera vine disease in the mid-1990's, requiring that it be replanted at that time.  They resumed production in 1996, but have yet to reach the lebvel of quality from the vintages before the re-planting.


The 1990 version was one of the last good ones before the Phylloxera problem.  The wine is now reaching it's peak.    On the nose, the wine reveals earthy notes, smoke, black fruit, and cedar.  There is still a lot of fruit on the palate, and the minty hues that have made this vineyard famous can be tasted under the fruit.  The finish is smooth and lasts for over 30 seconds.  Robert Parker has been hard on this wine for the last several years, and I don't understand why.  (He used to love it).  Most other critics continue to savor this wine as well.  Personally, I would rate most vintages of this wine 4 stars.  More interesting is the fact that despite mediocre Parker scores, most vintages of this wine still sell for top dollar at auctions.  This implies to me that there are a lot of wine connoisseur's who disagree with Mr. Parker on this one, when it comes to voting with your pocket book, so to speak.  Don't let one person's (Mr. Parker's) taste stand in the way of enjoying one of the greatest California cabernets out there.  If you see a Martha's vineyard from a decent vintage in your price range, buy it!

4 stars

 

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