2005 Heitz Cellar "Martha's Vineyard" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

A boisterous, exuberant vintage of Martha's Vineyard, showing notes of ripe black cherry, mint chocolate and loamy soil tones, with a great deal of fleshy amplitude and energy on the palate. These days, Martha's Vineyard is picked a bit riper and sees a bit more new oak, but by and large the fundamentals remain the same, distinguishing it as a rather classical wine in the modern Napa firmament. (WK)

The 2005 Martha’s Vineyard has an absolutely flamboyant nose that soars from the glass in a celestial blend of red and black cherries, mint, raw cocoa, woodsmoke, Rutherford Dust and cedar. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very, very pure, with a rock solid core of sappy fruit, beautiful complexity, a very generous attack, impeccable focus and balance and stunning length and grip on the ripely tannic and perfectly poised finish. This tastes as if it could be a young release of the 1975 or 1978, it is that classic in size and shape, despite it being at a higher alcohol level and having seen a touch more new wood during its elevage. A great Martha’s in the making. (JG) 94+