1986 Heitz Cellars Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

• Historic Single Vnyd Napa Cab
• CCOF Organic
• Collectible Wine that will create envy among friends

About the Wine

Forty-seven years after the first Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, the current release is just as enticing and has maintained its allure to wine aficionados and collectors worldwide. The wine is aged for five years at the winery before release. 

Tucked against the Mayacamas mountains in the celebrated Oakville AVA, with fertile, well-drained soil and afternoon shade, this superior site is home to the unique proprietary cabernet clone which has brought this vineyard legendary status.

Ageing: 1 year neutral oak, 3 years 100% New French Limousin oak

Winemaker Notes: “Standing in Martha’s Vineyard, you quickly realize why this site consistently produces a remarkable Cabernet Sauvignon. The vineyard receives gentle morning and early afternoon sunlight and is sheltered from the heat of the late afternoon sun by the mountains. This allows for longer hang time and Martha’s Vineyard is, historically, one of the last vineyards we pick. This ability to leave the fruit on the vine longer than other sites allows for concentration of flavor and softening of tannin to produce a wine so pure in its expression of place. The consistency in showcasing Martha’s Vineyard’s unique mint, bay leaf, dark berry and chocolate notes year after year is a reminder of why this vineyard has commanded a faithful following since the 1966 vintage.” – Brittany Sherwood, Winemaker

Reviews

The 1986 Cabernet Sauvignon Martha's Vineyard reveals a garnet color, with some amber just beginning to appear at the rim. Although uncomplex, the nose offers sweet, curranty fruit, and damp, earthy, foresty aromas. The wine's attack reveals sweet, full-bodied, cherry and black fruit flavors, and a robust, concentrated finish. The coarse, astringent tannin kept my score from going higher. This could still turn out to be an outstanding wine, but the thick, juicy fruit it exhibited in its youth appears to have quickly taken a back seat to the wine's structural components ... acidity and tannin. It can be drunk or cellared for another 10-15+ years. This wine was less impressive than when I first tasted it. The tasting notes for this section are from two single blind tastings, one conducted in May, 1996, in California, and the other in June, 1996, in Baltimore. ~88WA

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