2013 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon

Community Tasting Note

BellevuePhil Likes this wine:

94 Points

Sunday, July 23, 2023 - Why didn’t I listen to my wino buddy at Seastar and wait for the excruciating two hour decant?

The sweet memory of the amazing one nighter I had with the Heitz 2007 filled my memes and I could not fight the urge and so I popped and poured ... .the 2013.

The vintages are miles apart, but the love I have for this maker forces me to love each vintage but please don’t say it’s a fling! This is different from the sudden affair I had with special selection; this wine has more history and legend.

I swear I can see memories of my past when it opens and regretfully, I killed half of the bottle with a brick of feta and maldon salt, along with a medley of freshly picked cherry tomatoes from my garden covered in Bull Mastiff piss.

Regardless, after 2 hours it opened up into the most seductive and moving cab experience I have ever had with a Napa red.

One moment you would bring the glass to your nose and be hit with stale mold, then the next moment give it a good twist in the glass and your nose is hit with a bouquet so ripe and intoxicating it pulls memories from your past.

After just one glass, and even BEFORE it opened, I decided to go down to the garage and grab a bag of frozen meatballs my nana made for my parents back in the 70’s.

I know, I know, but listen.

Mom forgot about the meat sauce for a year (not uncommon for stuff to be in our freezer for years), Nana died, and Mom did not have the heart to throw them away because Nana hated any waste of food of any kind.

So... to honor Nana, we kept them “frozen” for decades. Each year mom would change the bag, or move it to the center of the freezer. Each Christmas I would try and convince her to cook it up but she declined but we all swore we would have a feast soon.

Nana’s gone, mom had a stroke and there they were..... so I thawed them out slowly in a sauté pan over low heat. Added my herbs from the garden, garlic, and using some Tonnarelli from a specialty store, I laid those decades old meatballs over those Pasta noodles and enjoyed each bite with this wonderful wine. OK, now here is the review:

In the hallowed realm of viticulture, where time-honored traditions converge with nature's artistry, lies a true gem of vinous excellence—the 2013 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon. A libation that unfurls a symphony of flavors on the palate, akin to a beautiful Italian maiden, graceful, captivating, and impossible to resist.

As I gently uncorked this vintage treasure, the air became imbued with an enchanting symphony of aromas, rising like a crescendo of fragrant notes. A ballet of blackberries and currants pirouetted gracefully, entwined with hints of cassis and the softest brush of warm oak. Swirling the glass, the wine's bouquet sang with finesse, revealing a delicate tapestry of violets and anise that lingered like a lingering memory of a bygone era.

With a sense of reverence, I took the first sip, and the wine embraced my palate with tender sophistication. Rich, dark fruit caressed my taste buds, and a velvety texture akin to the soft touch of that Italian maiden's hand graced my senses. The wine's structure was a marvel to behold, like the architecture of ancient Rome, with finely-woven tannins providing an elegant backbone that bestowed both strength and refinement.

But what truly elevated this vinous experience to the sublime was its enchanting companionship with my grandmother's frozen meatballs from 1998. As I savored each bite of those time-traveled delicacies, the 2013 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon danced in harmonious symphony, enhancing the flavors of those seasoned spheres. The wine's robust profile mingled with the meatball's savory essence, as if they were destined to meet across the ages.

In a moment of gustatory delight, I marveled at how the wine gracefully embraced the rustic charm of the meatballs, elevating them to a level of unparalleled delectability. Together, they wove a tale of generations, connecting the past and the present in a joyous celebration of culinary history.

In the end, the 2013 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon proved to be a timeless masterpiece, resonating with both sophistication and charm, much like the captivating allure of a beautiful Italian maiden. This wine will forever linger in my memory, an everlasting tribute to the art of winemaking and the cherished flavors of my grandmother's legacy.