The wine was Heitz Cellar Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Martha's Vineyard 1976, bottle 13327 of 17568 bottles and 1200 magnums, bottled July 1980, alcohol 13 1/2 % by volume. The wine has been stored properly since shortly after release. The fill was still in the neck, and the cork was sound. The color is still very deep with only a bit of age showing around the rim. This is textbook Napa CS with much cassis, the herbal character that some call eucalyptus, and a complex mixture of dark stone fruit. The wine has a very high extract, but the tannins are now fairly soft, and there is enough acid to balance. The finish is very long. The wine is fully mature, but likely will hold well for at least a few years. There is not too much oak or alcohol, unlike some California CS from the 70s. If I remember correctly, 1976 was a very hot and dry year in the Napa region. The grapes must have been extremely ripe and concentrated. This is not the best Heitz from the 70s era, likely because the grapes were nearly too ripe and concentrated - one gets the impression that, had they been just a bit riper, a Port like wine would have been possible. In other words, this wine flirts with being a bit over the top. Still it is an excellent wine that is better than many highly regarded wines from the 70s. I notice, from the bottling date, that the wine must have had nearly 3 years in wood. This likely was needed to tame the monster, and even longer in wood likely could have been tolerated.
- posted
16 years ago