1990 | Heitz Wine Cellar | Trailside Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

One of California's benchmark Cabernets, this has lovely depth and intensity. Marked by mint and currant flavors with a cedary accent, all turning smooth and supple. Firm tannins on the finish.

Reviews:

• John Gilman: The 1990 vintage of Martha’s Vineyard is less ripe and powerful than the 1991 and is one of Kathleen Heitz Myers’ favorite vintages from the decade of the 1990s. One taste and it is very easy to understand why this is the case, as this is a beautifully elegant rendition of Martha’s Vineyard. The bouquet is deep, complex and stunning, as it soars from the glass in a blaze of red and black cherries, new leather, eucalyptus, cigar smoke, Rutherford dust and just a hint of cedar. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and very refined, with fine mid-palate depth, beautiful complexity, moderate tannins and superb length and grip on the dancing finish. While the 1990 Martha’s Vineyard is already drinking beautifully, I would be inclined to give it just a few more years of cellaring, to allow it to reach its zenith. It will drink well for many decades on into the future. Great wine!
• Wine Advocate: It has a fine, eucalyptus nose complemented by fruitcake, bar leaf and a touch of cedar…certainly demonstrating more freshness and vigor than the ’91. The palate is medium-bodied with a very fine structure, firm tannins, very youthful. A little more depth than the ‘Roberson’ bottle. Very lithe and rounded towards finish with touches of allspice and eucalyptus. I like the ‘coolness’ here, whereas other vintages are marred by excessive heat.

Producer Information

Heitz Wine Cellar is an iconic Napa Valley wine producer located just south of St Helena. It is most famous for its single vineyard wines made of Cabernet Sauvignon, and in particular the Martha's Vineyard wine, which is one of Napa's "Cult Cabernet" labels. The estate was founded by Joe Heitz in 1961. Heitz had been a professor in the enology department of California State University in Fresno, and had previously assisted the legendary pioneering California winemaker André Tchelistcheff at Beaulieu Vineyards. Wanting to begin his own project, Heitz bought eight acres (3.4 hectares) of vineyards that were mostly planted with the Italian Grignolino grape. Heitz Cellars continues to make a wine from this variety today. As with many Napa producers, Heitz's success has been associated with its flagship Cabernet Sauvignon wines. Heitz is the exclusive lease holder of the 35 acre (14 hectare) Martha's Vineyard in the Oakville AVA and has used its fruit to produce vineyard-designated varietal Cabernet Sauvignon wines from the 1966 vintage. The estate runs vineyards across the wider Napa Valley area, with sites in Oakville, Rutherford, St Helena, Howell Mountain, Oak Knoll District, and Calistoga. Until recently, Heitz generally shied away from using Napa's sub-AVA titles, choosing instead to use the more generic Napa Valley AVA along with the vineyard name. The style of Heitz's Cabernet Sauvignon wines has remained consistent over the years. The winery uses French oak over American, and fruit is harvested slightly earlier than much of the rest of the region, giving a wine that is slightly higher in acidity than most. Heitz makes a range of other wines from Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as from other classic Napa varieties like Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Zinfandel. Heitz was bought by Arkansas-based billionaire Gaylon Lawrence in 2018 and is now part of the Lawrence Family group of holdings which spans interests in agriculture and farming, banking and commercial real estate.

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