2018 Heitz Cellar, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California, USA
Critics reviews
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) is bright, focused and nuanced, with lovely energy and tons of glass. Perfumed floral and spice accents lift the red-toned fruit nicely. This exquisitely beautiful, vivid Cabernet is all class. Like the Chardonnay, the Cabernet Sauvignon is on the lighter side, even for this style. It will be interesting to see if Heitz also pursues a bit more richness for this wine in future vintages.
Drink 2025-2038
Antonio Galloni, Vinous (October 2021)
Heitz's regular 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon features a slightly minty-eucalyptus edge, cherries and a hint of leather. Medium-bodied and concentrated, this is silky and fine, finishing a bit tart. Personally, I'd prefer to see more mid-palate richness, but that's not the style being pursued here.
Drink 2024-2035
Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate (March 2023)
A pure, balanced and fresh Napa cabernet that is not just showing heady concentration and dark fruit. Here you get some violets, nimble flowers, redcurrants, graphite and fine spices. Some oranges, too. Fragrant and nuanced. Medium to full body with tight yet refined tannins. Rather linear, tense and elegant, but lacking neither power nor definition. Better to give it a few years to deliver more complexity.
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com (September 2022)
Lots of ripe blue fruits, sappy herbs, and some background minerality as well as a touch of oak emerge from the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, a medium-bodied, beautifully balanced, elegant Cabernet from this estate that's drinkable today yet will evolve for 15-20 years in cold cellars. It's one for the old school Cabernet lovers out there.
Drink 2023-2043
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (February 2023)
Deep black-currant and blackberry flavors come with a warm, rounded texture bolstered by fine-grained tannins in this concentrated and mouth-filling wine. Hints of mint and dark chocolate enhance the aroma and continue through the finish.
Drink 2025-2035
Jim Gordin, Wine Enthusiast (December 2022)
About this WINE
Heitz Cellar
Iconic Napa Valley producer Heitz Cellar is a brand-new addition to the BB&R portfolio, and we are thrilled to be offering it. For several years, we have been quietly working behind the scenes to establish a new partnership with Demeine Estates (owner of Heitz), and we are now excited to announce that we are the sole agency in the UK for Heitz Cellar.
A family-owned estate dating back to 1961, Heitz Cellar is a legendary name throughout Napa Valley and one of the leading pioneers of the region since its creation in the late 1950s by Joe Heitz. The celebrated and much-acclaimed ‘Martha’s Vineyard’ was, in fact, the first vineyard-designated Cabernet Sauvignon to be produced in the valley. Since then, the refined and Bordeaux-esque style of winemaking has become synonymous with the estate as their legacy and notoriety continue to grow globally.
In April 2018, Heitz Cellar entered an exciting new chapter as this rich legacy was passed into the hands of the Lawrence family, whose deep roots in agriculture and commitment to the same core values of fine winemaking made it a perfect match. The wines are made with an unwavering commitment to quality from organically farmed, 100% Napa Valley fruit and a commitment to the sustainability of Napa Valley. The style unquestionably differs from many of the riper, concentrated Cabs produced by some of their neighbours.
St. Helena
St. Helena is situated in the heart of Napa Valley, in California, approximately midway between the towns of Napa and Calistoga. It is known for its picturesque vineyards and is a central hub within the Napa Valley wine-growing region.
Like much of Napa Valley, St. Helena experiences a Mediterranean climate characterised by warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters. The climate is well-suited for grape cultivation, particularly for Cabernet Sauvignon, the region's flagship varietal.
The soils are diverse, ranging from gravelly and alluvial soils to volcanic and sedimentary deposits. These varied soil types contribute to the complexity and unique characteristics of wines produced in the region.
St. Helena is known for producing high-quality wines, emphasising Cabernet Sauvignon. Other varietals, such as Merlot, Zinfandel, and Chardonnay, are also cultivated in the area. The region is home to several renowned wineries and vineyards that have significantly shaped the reputation of Napa Valley wines. Some notable wineries include Beringer Vineyards, and Heitz Wine Cellars.
Cabernet Sauvignon
The most famous red wine grape in the world and one of the most widely planted.
It is adaptable to a wide range of soils, although it performs particularly well on well-drained, low-fertile soils. It has small, dusty, black-blue berries with thick skins that produce deeply coloured, full-bodied wines with notable tannins. Its spiritual home is the Médoc and Graves regions of Bordeaux where it thrives on the well-drained gravel-rich soils producing tannic wines with piercing blackcurrant fruits that develop complex cedarwood and cigar box nuances when fully mature.
The grape is widely planted in California where Cabernet Sauvignon based wines are distinguished by their rich mixture of cassis, mint, eucalyptus and vanilla oak. It is planted across Australia and with particular success in Coonawarra where it is suited to the famed Terra Rossa soil. In Italy barrique aged Cabernet Sauvignon is a key component in Super Tuscans such as Tignanello and Sassicaia, either on its own or as part of a blend with Sangiovese.
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Description
The Heitz Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced primarily from two vineyards in St. Helena - the 'Only One Vineyard' and the 'Spring Valley Vineyard'. Matured in a combination of new and used large oak casks and smaller barriques for two years, followed by a further year in bottle prior to release.
The nose of the 2018 Heitz Napa Cabernet Sauvignon is scented with fine raspberry and blackberry aromas mixing with macerated red cherries, herbal notes of wild oregano and a top note of sweet spice. What makes this an absolutely brilliant wine on the palate, however, is the combination of its beautiful, layered fruit character with such unbelievable freshness. There is a superb precision and line to this whilst a dusting of chalky tannins adds more refreshment on the long, savoury-lined finish. This is a wine that leaves the palate superbly invigorated, making you want to have at least another glass. It is absolutely delicious and so, so fine compared to what you might expect of Napa, especially at this price.
Drink now to 2038
Catriona Felstead MW, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd (December 2023)
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