Heitz Cellar Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

Structured and powerful with chewy and firm tannins with a light vanilla and currant undertone. Full bodied. Juicy and savory. Luscious and intense yet polished. Tension, energy and wonderful length and brightness.

No other Cabernet has the aromatic profile of Martha’s, its signature eucalyptus note being perennially present and well documented. It is quite floral for a Cabernet, with aromas of dried cherry blossom, fresh sage, dry earth and cocoa powder. Aged three years in French oak and an additional two in bottle before release, there is clear evidence of new oak, but in a deliciously creamy, enhancing way rarely found in modern Cabernet. The palate is juicy, clean, dark and deep all at once. Explosive and long on the finish, showing multidimensional layers of black fruits, fresh herbs and charred earth with stunning delineation. There isn’t a more definitive Cabernet Sauvignon in the world, at any price.

Extended bottle age at Heitz’s cellar is a long-term investment in a wine like this 2015 Martha’s Vineyard. Mysteriously, the wine manages to be plump and austere at once, like an aristocrat who’s a little soft in the middle but tough as nails. The vintage has the eucalyptus scent that famously marks this vineyard’s cabernet, a complex element in the midst of the wine’s fresh, bright red fruit and silken texture. Seriously grand Napa Valley cabernet, bristling with energy, this has a long life ahead.

This is very bright, with a narrow beam of cherry and raspberry coulis notes that belie its bottle age, while strips of red licorice and apple wood underscore the finish. Ends with a hard candy note and a twinge of austerity, though; this seems lifted. -- Blind 2015 California Cabernet retrospective (July 2025). Drink now through 2028. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 2,300 cases made.