Judgement of Eagan (Jason P's, St. Paul, MN): Very dark red/purple color. Splash double decanted + 2 hr slow O after; drank a glass plus over 2 hours. Amazing right from the start. Cedar box, higly perfumed, classic eucalyptus, dried herbs, cool menthol, violet, spiced red berries and cassis on the nose. The palate is juicy, spicy, black cherry, anise, Christmas spice, medicinal cherries, wood spices, dense and full bodied with soft tannins. Fantastic, however, I thought it broke down noticably in glass after a good hour showing a more liqueurish character to the fruit and palate with a sharpness on the back end. But for the first hour it rocked. Though at the end of the night I favored the Mouton, the edge goes to the Martha's over the '93 Mouton at peak. Vote was 7-2 Heitz.
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P: Flavors match the nose completely with the addition of tertiary notes starting to grow stronger and latching onto the fruits by the minute. Fruits are still there though, but for how much longer, I wouldn’t know.
If you have a hankering for classic-styled cabs, this wine is definitely for you.
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The nuts and bolts: The nose was sublime, with the tell-tale sign of eucalyptus, earth, red fruit and some spice. Palate was equally up to the task, with plenty of red and black fruit, mushroom and forest floor, eucalyptus, anise and tar, with notes of forest floor and sweet toasted oak. The tertiary flavors were more toward the forefront than with previous bottles, sharing the spotlight with the fruit.....just where my palate enjoys wine the most! This bottle was in a perfect spot for my palate! Easily 95+ and I don't see it improving, but I also don't see it fading any time soon.
Judgement of Eagan (Jason's house): Slow O'd a bit. Violets, slight menthol, cedar and gorgeous. With time in the glass, it comes out of balance, making me question how long to hold my last bottle (although this bottle wasn't mine).
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One of my favorite wines. This bottle showed beautifully, with loads of eucalyptus as well as layers of dark plum, earth, baking spices (cinnamon, nutmeg) and violets. Great depth and vibrancy on both the nose and palate.
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No detailed notes but it showed some pyrazine notes on the aromas, was full-flavored with soft resolved tannins. Clearly well into its life, it started fading after a couple hours. Drink in the next three years.
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Yum yum yum yum.... this bottle stood out for me which is saying something because it was a pretty killer line-up of a day. This was just excellent. I got rosemary somehow which is odd because it's meant to be eucalyptus but what can you do? Dried fruits. Drinking very well. This was quite enjoyable. A wine that I feel like i found a bit too late but have never seemed to not absolutely loved.
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"Guy's Night": Aged Napa (Joe & Khem's Place, Mpls): Very dark red/purple color. Splash decanted . Drank a glass plus over 2 hours. Drank in a flight with a '96 Abreu Madronna Ranch and a '96 Togni. Wow, this was electric on the nose and palate. Cassis, eucalyptus, black cherry, leather, huckleberry pie, subtle graphite, and some earth. The palate shows those same gorgeous black and purple fruits, leather, menthol, glycerin, graphite, truffle, full bodied and really long. This was so sleek, impeccably polished and well integrated. 95+ to 96pts.
Guys Night Out - California Dreaming! (Joe's House): Splash decant - I cannot imagine this wine showing any better than it did this night! Nose was sublime, with dark fruit, eucalyptus, tar, tobacco and some forest floor. Palate was equal to the task with plenty of red and dark fruit (currant and cassis, mostly) with eucalyptus, anise, tar, and leather notes, coupled with hints of earth and sweet oak. Truly a pleasure to drink, and the best bottle of this tasted so far! Easy 96+ for me! Mine and the groups WOTN!
Guys night - Napa (Joe's house): Splash decant, followed a couple small glasses over 3+ hours. There is eucalyptus and that makes the wine interesting. Tobacco, slight vegetation, tar. I can only hope that newer vintages of this show as well as these wine's from the 90's. I worry its a bygone era for napa cab. This was unanimous wine of the night, but all 5 napa cabs were in a very tight range.
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One of our two contributions to a Napa cab dinner we hosted, which thanks to generous friends ended up representing a great cross section of old school producers. Wine were '94 Anderson Conn Valley, '95 Phelps Insignia, '96 Heitz Martha's, '97 Mondavi Reserve, '05 Spottswoode Estate and '05 Shafer Hillside Select. This came in second for me (ACV and Shafer ranked 1 and 3 for me). Dark fruit and a lifted nose with the telltale eucalyptus notes. Black cherry, forest floor and aged balasamic or soy on the palate. Such a great wine.
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Outstanding Old World Napa Cabs: Splash decant, then 2 hours Slo O - Nose was nice with black fruit and menthol dominating, but hints of earth and some leather lurking in the background. Palate showed plenty of black fruit, some red fruit, eucalyptus, sage, earth and graphite, with enough well-integrated tannins to still give a slight pucker. Finish was medium long and very tasty! This wine still has plenty of life, but is drinking quite well now! Easily 94+ to 95 tonight! Group's #2 (tied with 91 Dunn) and my #3.
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Old OG Napa Cabs (James & Carrie's, Northern Burbs, Mpls): Very dark red/purple color with a 5mm transition to clear. Splash double decanted, drank a glass over 3 hours. Sweet ripe fruits, earthy, plum, cassis, clove, spice, fairly subtle eucalyptus on the nose with hints of blood orange. The palate also shows the brightness, cassis, sweet plum, blackberry, blackberry liqueur, eucalyptus, earth, and spice with a deep sultry finish. This got better and better through the evening and was wine of the flight between this, the '95 Insignia and the '97 Mondavi.
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Served single-blind. I thought this wine was fully resolved. Lovely tertiary elements, savory sage, funk, scorced earth, cigar box, leather. There was no noticeable eucalyptus.
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Single Blind Old Napa Virtual Tasting (Home): Very dark red color with a 15 mm transitional margin. PNP, poured into vessels and capped 2 hours prior to pouring into glasses. Drank 2 glasses single blind over 3 hours. I've had the '96 Martha's a number of times and it has always been fantastic. This was good, but certainly didn't have me thinking that's what we're drinking. The nose is nice, wood spice, dried cherry, cassis, with damp earth emerging gradually. The palate has a more medium full body, cassis, a little dirty, blackberry, plum and woodsy, earth and little metallic minerality. Not the best example we've had. 91+ to 92pts.
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This was a single blind tasting. Everyone knew the wines, but not the order or which wine was which....the lineup:
1996 Ridge Monte Bello 2011 Myriad Cellars 2001 Joseph Phelps Insignia 1996 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Martha’s Vineyard 2002 Dunn Howell Mountain 2012 Kirkland Signature Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 Araujo Estate Sauvignon Blanc Eisele Vineyard
Dunn was opened and decanted to remove sediment, then back in the bottle at 2:30, until 4:45, when it was poured into jar 6 oz for transporting. The rest of the wines were poured in glass jars starting at 4:15. Tasting began at 6:30. All wines were tasted between 6:30 and 8:00. Group's number 1 wine was the 1992 Dunn. Number 2 wine was the 1996 Heitz Martha's Vineyard.
1996 Heitz Martha's Vineyard - Wine showed very well! Deep purple with no noticeable bricking. Still looked like a youngster...if only we could all age so gracefully! The nose showed mushroom, leather and some spice, with hints of red current and stewed plums. The nose was not as pronounced as I have seen with Martha's in the past (and tell-tale sign of eucalyptus was missing). What the wine lacked in the nose, it more than made up for on the palate. This was my favorite wine on the palate, just a smidge ahead of the Dunn, and if the nose was more pronounced, that would have been enough to catapult this wine to number 1. This is another wine that showed well, and while it is doubtful it will improve, it still has a long life ahead of it. Drink whenever the occasion presents itself, you will not be sorry! (But you also do not need to be in hurry to drink either). Revisited the next morning, and still drinking nicely...raised the score one point to a solid 94.
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"Wow" wines (Jason's House): Decanted an hour. This wine opened in the glass. Very traditional, with saddle leather, sage, eucalyptus, cigar box. What impressed me was the completeness of the wine. Having said that, it was elegant and balanced, not flashy, and a little "more" would elevate this wine further.
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Wines that "wow" you (Jason's House): This was another wow'er of a wine in the lineup. An excellent bottle of that had an hour decant and a couple of additional hours being slowly oxidized in the bottle. This HM was singing tonight. Typical Heitz nose of eucalyptus, earth, and leather, but also additional complexity of spice, herbs and a touch of honeysuckle sweetness. On the palate, this wine really showed its character! Very balanced and well integrated notes of black current, blackberries and all the elements on the nose. The tannins were velvety and the finish was nice and long, but left you wanting another sip to savor. The groups WOTN, my #2. Can't imagine this drinking much better!
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Guy's Night Out: Wow Wines (Jason P's, St. Paul, MN): Very dark red color with no bricking. Decanted for an hour and also saw a several hours of slow-O. Drank a glass over 2 hours. This just sat in the glass while I was completely mesmerized by the '92 Araujo Eiselle. I finally got around to picking up my glass as the table talk around the '96 perked my ears. The '96 is a pretty brilliant version of Martha's with a provocative nose of citrus zest, light eucayptus, dried herbs, savory dried spices, anise and dark fruits. The palate is full bodied, earthy, velvet texture, great purity, cassis, dark wild boysenberry, pencil, menthol, awesome spices and melded satiny tannins. Outstanding; my and group WOTN.
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Nico's Night of Wonders (Chez Siggy & Jenny's Place, Mpls, MN): Very dark red/purple color. this had an hour decant and some additional slow-O time. Drank 1 glass over an hour. Same bottle as Chablis28 and I'm left with the same impressions. Tonight this felt younger and and a bit more brooding than a previous bottle that was stunning. This showed some earth, more sappy dark fruits, high toned wood spices and graphite. Not much of the signature eucalyptus on this one.
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I was a little let down tonight. Tonight this tasted overly youthful and rich to me. It was very nice btl but not what I hoped for. Based on tonight this needs at least 3-5 more years before it shows more range and depth. Tonight it reminded me of lot of well made CA Cab rather than a mature, in the pocket, 21 yr old legend. I only decanted it for an hour and then back into the btl. Pulled the cork out again about 30 minutes prior to drinking. Maybe a lot more air would have helped but this drank more like an 05.
Decanted for 2 hours. Needed for sure. A very solid wine here, well made with good level of fruit and tannin. On the youngish side still even at 21yrs of age and with lots of healthy life ahead. The issue we have with Heitz's MV is that very particular, menthol/eucalyptus nose , very pronounced and distinct (saw it on all MVs we tried), and in a way medicinal at times. Just not our cup of tea to be honest. Very solid wine but no more than a 91-92 for us.
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Rusty, ruddy garnet color, brick rim,medium plus body Musty nose, faint black fruit, cigar box Silky smooth, velvety medium finish Floral hints, stewed black fruit tobacco, leathery. I think the window is rapidly closing on this vintage, thus my inablity to fairly score the bottle. it 'WAS' very good at some point.
Drink your wine in time folks!
@Homer with the Pies
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Picked this up just a few years ago, so didn't know how it had been stored before that. Kept on its side for 2 years in the chiller. Taken to a local french spot, popped and enjoyed with escargot in a pesto/garlic sauce followed by a thick veal chop and in sauce with various designer mushrooms. Absolutely heaven. Cork was saturated but expertly removed in one piece by our server. Great Martha's eucalyptus nose, mild but so distinguished. Clean subtle fruit, completely integrated tannins, just went down too easily with all four of us.....seems like it would last longer but I'd hate to sacrifice any further loss in flavor profile. Drink up!
What RnR said below. This wine did not disappoint! A recent single btl acquisition in unbelievably great shape. Who sells this stuff??? I sure wouldn't Paid $145 and drank more like $200+. Exceptional balance, power and yet so focused and in a way, refined and graceful. Penetrating, complex and suave. Maybe best tannin situation ever for a Cab. Loved it. I'm re-catching some of my early fire for CA Cabernet... when done right. This was a much better spend then buying the latest cult made by some .com millionaire. A stellar wine tonight amongst several stellar wines. We walked outside around 10PM to a crystal clear evening sky full of stars. I think those stars aligned tonight.
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A Decadent Night of 1990's Napa Cabs and Bordeaux (Chez Dalluge, MN): Very dark red color, minimal bricked margin. Splash double decant; drank 1 glass over 3 hours. OMG, what a nose, this grabs you immediately and just throttles your senses, very earthy, anise, dry earth, sandalwood, perfumed, menthol, deep berries. The palate has depth with classic eucalyptus/minty goodness, earthy, fresh, gorgeous with well integrated oak, cassis, black fruits, and a long invigorating finish. Simply outstanding, thanks Craig for bringing this gem. Remarkably fresh; yet developed, this is just splendid. 95+pts.
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Sublime and beautifully integrated dark fruit, pencil shavings, cigar box, cedar. Luscious, round mouth feel. Plenty of cassis/black currant, but balanced perfectly with the secondary and tertiary notes. Long, luxurious finish. The best bottle of the '96 I've enjoyed to date.
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Drinking beautifully. Still vibrant fruit, vanilla, dark cherries and cola. Resolved tannins. Wish I had more. NB: This wine traveled extremely long and well...hand carried Napa to LA, then three trips back and forth over the Atlantic fifteen years later and finally consumed in rural England.
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Domaine End of Year Party (Chicago, IL): Just the right amount of brett for me (I'm pretty sensitive, but can bear a little bit). On the other hand, the palate is a bit round, juicy, and sweet, without much other character, which makes this wine seem a bit dumb.
This wine is drinking beautifully right now. Decanted for about 4 hours prior to drinking and it showed wonderfully. Lush red fruit and a little cherry cola and chocolate notes. Drink up as it doesn't get much better than this.
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My second of 3 bottles of the 1996 Martha's and it's just as good as the previous bottle. All three came from the same original owner source and had been properly stored since purchase.
This is one elegant, harmonious wine. Silky smooth - tannins fully integrated. Very little sediment. Pure and deep flavours of cassis, eucalyptus (of course), black cherry, cola, wet cedar. Good acidity.
Just a pleasure to drink.
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Delicious dark cherry, eucalyptus and cedar flavors, beautifully balanced. Long finish, smooth texture. We gave it about a half hour decant. Drinking beautifully.
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classic heitz but on very low volume, not fruit bomb and you could taste tree (pine or eucalyptus?) but no other palate elements that stood out, i guess i would call it simple… wonder if this just needs another ten years? didn't taste like it was fading, but just sort of 'simple'
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Aarrrrgh! Last bottle (#10,546) of this beauty....a bittersweet moment. Still youthful at 17 years old. Very minor bricking, and a bit of old Cab must, but perfectly integrated and balanced. Still has plenty of fruit. Eucalyptus, mint and some charred meat come through on the nose. Could be another 10 years of life for anyone lucky enough to have more.
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My Birthaday Party: Family, Friends, Food and Wine !!! (My home): And now my WOTN. First I did not even wanted to bring it into the tasting as I recall this as a very rustic and unbalanced wine. But as it was the only 1996 Napa Cab at hand I still decided to open it. Good decisions as this wine turned from the ugly duckling (in 2010) into a beautiful swan. Or better said from barn flavors into a wonderful and fruit covered wine.
The nose showed flavors of Coke, Mint and Caramel. Flavors of plums. This wine is very complex and multi-dimensional. Just amazing how a wine can change in a few years of time. Great post-Phyloxery Heitz Martha's. I love it! Drink now - 2025.
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We had a remarkable wine experience last night where a group of us drank 10 vintages of Heitz Cellar Martha's Vineyard Cab Sauv ('88-'92 and '96-'00). The drag is we accidentally deleted our tasting notes so have to work from memory:
'96 Beautifully preserved. Has several years left in the bottle. Good dark garnet color. Complex fruit and eucalyptus nose. Great remaining structure with medium tannins, balanced acidity. Dark berries, green pepper and mint/eucalyptus palate. Long finish. Really worked well with the seared fois gras.
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Beautifully aging Heitz MV. Leather and tobacco nose. Smooth, well-integrated. Still plenty of fruit.....dark cherries, followed by leather, tobacco and a hint of chocolate. Long, gentle, but distinct finish. There are still a few years left in this, but it's so perfect now.....why wait?
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Commanders Palace New Orleans wine purchase with dinner. Beautifully cellared with great cork condition. No bricking noted, aromas of subtle earth and gardenias, lots of fruit remaining on the palate after an amazingly smooth entry. Drinking incredibly well now and still has some years left if stored properly. Smooth as silk!
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Really aging well. Beautiful structure now, has at least another decade. Opened between a 78 Martha's and a 96 Screaming eagle. This wine lacks the purer Bourdeaux character of the 78, but is aging much, much better than the Screaming Eagle. The SE was all fading fruit, while this one had nice complexity, typical Martha's eucalyptus, etc. Looking forward to seeing what it does from here.
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A lovely Martha’s that seems to be aging well. The wine had classic Martha’s notes of chocolate covered mint, eucalyptus, currants and leather on the nose and palate. The leather note was prominent, indicating the age on this one, but not overpowering. The body was on the thin side at first but filled out with air. Saved a few glasses for day 2; all the tasting note components were still there, though the fruit showed more sweetness. This one seemed like it still had enough primary fruit to allow it to easily age another decade.
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Another Saturday at Knightsbridge - mostly blind (Northbrook, IL): Tasted double blind. Dense, chewy and meaty. Lots of black fruit with less interesting spice. Big tannins, short on acidity, I though this was flabby and unbalanced. Others liked this far more than I did.
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BLACK CHERRIES, BLACKBERRIES, AND SPICE IN THE NOSE WITH DEEP BERRY FRUIT, BLACK CHERRIES, AND A TOUCH OF CHOCOLATE IN THE FLAVOR. ELEGANT WINE WITH NICE COMPLEXITY AND A LONG FINISH.
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Lafite-like in nose and mouth. Impressive. Good length that might not match Lafite, but an overall fine effort that won't seem to benefit from further age.
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Definitive Bordeaux (Mirabelle Restaurant Austin, Texas): Drinking quite well, this wine had vanilla, new wood, and barnyard on the nose, and lots of good, dark fruit, even raisins, on the palate. It was the roundest wine in the flight, maybe had less structure, but was very good with food. There were two takes on this wine: one group found bright cherry, dark fruit, ripeness, and jam flavors (they thought this the 96 Mouton), another group thought the wine simple, grassy on the nose, with plum, stew, and minerals on the palate, and moving on a downward slope (the french and quilceda snobs). It was a better than expected Heitz, and gave the Mouton a good contest--a tie, in a tannic year for both.
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Took a party of other wine lovers we all liked it. Opened nicely with dark red fruits and some tannins little oak and vanilla. Taste was wonderful cab taste from Oakville.
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Very meaty. Took about an hour to really open up, but it turned out pretty nice. A little flabby on the finish, but we had it without any food, so it seems like it would work really well with some grilled lamb or steak.
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Distinctive Napa effort for sure, more reminiscent of a true Bordeaux but with the unique combination of flavors only generated in Martha's vineyard - menthol, spice and coffee overalying plenty of black fruit (and jjclips2 nailed it with "a dollop of horse funk on the nose"). It makes itself approachable after some air but I definitely think time is on your side if you are fortunate enough to have some in the cellar.
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Fantastic. First time I thought this wine was worth it. Distinctly Martha's vyd with tons of menthol, mocha, and spice. Nice black currants with a dollop of horse funk on the nose. The palate is relatively elegant with fine grained tannins, great black fruit core, and more mint. Comparable to top growth Bordeaux. Stunning!
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Open and drank immediately. Decanted sediment. Perfect cork. Drinking very well right now. It is a delicate cab with dark chocolate, tobacco, and earthy hues. Tannins are very light. This is now an old-world cab and not a typical california style. Would be great with a new york/filet. Beautiful, complex wine.
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Tasted nicely, some of us considerd it to almost starting to oxidize. Wine has been a wine room at 55 degrees since released. Dark fruits on the nose with some dirt tobacco, taste was firm but had an edge to it.
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Garnet in color. Low rim variation. Slow legs. Spicy, leather,Smokey, Carnation. Full bodied. Smooth texture. Long finish. Terrific finesse and just beginning to come into its own
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Had this with a dinner of grilled ribeye -- found it to be tight and tannic at first, but it opened up quickly and became a really lean, elegant bottle. This wasn't a "big" cab -- it had finesse that reminded me of an old world bottle.
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I won't say much about this wine because it didn't say much to me. The 1996 Heitz Martha's Vineyard is still backward and closed with gritty tannins in the form of good grip and a leathery finish. The menthol characteristic one finds in so many Napa wines is fully present and dominates the front of the palate(the finish as well for that matter). The dark fruit is lurking underneath the tannin somewhere but needs another five to six years to emerge. This is a hugely structured wine that is just showing glimpses of it's potential. If you are reading this and only have one bottle of this I implore you to wait at least until 2012 to open it. If you have more than one bottle, open one, write a review here on CT, and tell me if you agree. This is potentially a 94-point wine.
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Pure, minty, floral and concentrated, this wine is memorable. Perfect balance and long finish, paired fabulously with slow roasted baby back ribs and a twice baked potato.
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Dinner with Jeff, Russ & Jeff at Cafe Ponte. This is a "nice" wine. I mean, it has the usual Napa Cab nose and taste but nothing more. The hint of Eucalyptus that used to mark this wine isn't evident anymore and I feel it's lacking character. Just not very terroiristic at all. It's good though, don't get me wrong, I just wouldn't classify it as anything special. The main thing that came to mind was sweet, almost candy-like.
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10/19/2023 - rocknroller wrote: 95 Points
Judgement of Eagan (Jason P's, St. Paul, MN): Very dark red/purple color. Splash double decanted + 2 hr slow O after; drank a glass plus over 2 hours. Amazing right from the start. Cedar box, higly perfumed, classic eucalyptus, dried herbs, cool menthol, violet, spiced red berries and cassis on the nose. The palate is juicy, spicy, black cherry, anise, Christmas spice, medicinal cherries, wood spices, dense and full bodied with soft tannins. Fantastic, however, I thought it broke down noticably in glass after a good hour showing a more liqueurish character to the fruit and palate with a sharpness on the back end. But for the first hour it rocked. Though at the end of the night I favored the Mouton, the edge goes to the Martha's over the '93 Mouton at peak. Vote was 7-2 Heitz.
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10/19/2023 - WineBurrowingWombat Likes this wine: 94 Points
Cracking the whip; 10/16/2023-10/23/2023 (Eagan, MN): N: Classically styled red fruits with a bit of fermented soy, damp neutral oak, and clean forest floor.
P: Flavors match the nose completely with the addition of tertiary notes starting to grow stronger and latching onto the fruits by the minute. Fruits are still there though, but for how much longer, I wouldn’t know.
If you have a hankering for classic-styled cabs, this wine is definitely for you.
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10/19/2023 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 95 Points
Judgement of Eagan Wine Tasting (Jason's House): This wine was pitted against a 1993 Mouton, and for my palate, was the clear winner! A stellar showing and a classic MV!
The nuts and bolts: The nose was sublime, with the tell-tale sign of eucalyptus, earth, red fruit and some spice. Palate was equally up to the task, with plenty of red and black fruit, mushroom and forest floor, eucalyptus, anise and tar, with notes of forest floor and sweet toasted oak. The tertiary flavors were more toward the forefront than with previous bottles, sharing the spotlight with the fruit.....just where my palate enjoys wine the most! This bottle was in a perfect spot for my palate! Easily 95+ and I don't see it improving, but I also don't see it fading any time soon.
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10/19/2023 - galewskj wrote: 95 Points
Judgement of Eagan (Jason's house): Slow O'd a bit. Violets, slight menthol, cedar and gorgeous. With time in the glass, it comes out of balance, making me question how long to hold my last bottle (although this bottle wasn't mine).
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10/19/2023 - JCGuthrie wrote: 96 Points
One of my favorite wines. This bottle showed beautifully, with loads of eucalyptus as well as layers of dark plum, earth, baking spices (cinnamon, nutmeg) and violets. Great depth and vibrancy on both the nose and palate.
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9/23/2023 - VAGenius Likes this wine: 93 Points
No detailed notes but it showed some pyrazine notes on the aromas, was full-flavored with soft resolved tannins. Clearly well into its life, it started fading after a couple hours. Drink in the next three years.
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9/2/2023 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Yum yum yum yum.... this bottle stood out for me which is saying something because it was a pretty killer line-up of a day. This was just excellent. I got rosemary somehow which is odd because it's meant to be eucalyptus but what can you do? Dried fruits. Drinking very well. This was quite enjoyable. A wine that I feel like i found a bit too late but have never seemed to not absolutely loved.
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7/28/2022 - rocknroller wrote: 96 Points
"Guy's Night": Aged Napa (Joe & Khem's Place, Mpls): Very dark red/purple color. Splash decanted . Drank a glass plus over 2 hours. Drank in a flight with a '96 Abreu Madronna Ranch and a '96 Togni. Wow, this was electric on the nose and palate. Cassis, eucalyptus, black cherry, leather, huckleberry pie, subtle graphite, and some earth. The palate shows those same gorgeous black and purple fruits, leather, menthol, glycerin, graphite, truffle, full bodied and really long. This was so sleek, impeccably polished and well integrated. 95+ to 96pts.
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7/28/2022 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 96 Points
Guys Night Out - California Dreaming! (Joe's House): Splash decant - I cannot imagine this wine showing any better than it did this night! Nose was sublime, with dark fruit, eucalyptus, tar, tobacco and some forest floor. Palate was equal to the task with plenty of red and dark fruit (currant and cassis, mostly) with eucalyptus, anise, tar, and leather notes, coupled with hints of earth and sweet oak. Truly a pleasure to drink, and the best bottle of this tasted so far! Easy 96+ for me! Mine and the groups WOTN!
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7/28/2022 - galewskj wrote: 95 Points
Guys night - Napa (Joe's house): Splash decant, followed a couple small glasses over 3+ hours. There is eucalyptus and that makes the wine interesting. Tobacco, slight vegetation, tar. I can only hope that newer vintages of this show as well as these wine's from the 90's. I worry its a bygone era for napa cab. This was unanimous wine of the night, but all 5 napa cabs were in a very tight range.
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7/6/2022 - CH2 wrote:
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7/6/2022 - CH2 Likes this wine: 93 Points
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10/23/2021 - JCGuthrie wrote: 94 Points
One of our two contributions to a Napa cab dinner we hosted, which thanks to generous friends ended up representing a great cross section of old school producers. Wine were '94 Anderson Conn Valley, '95 Phelps Insignia, '96 Heitz Martha's, '97 Mondavi Reserve, '05 Spottswoode Estate and '05 Shafer Hillside Select. This came in second for me (ACV and Shafer ranked 1 and 3 for me). Dark fruit and a lifted nose with the telltale eucalyptus notes. Black cherry, forest floor and aged balasamic or soy on the palate. Such a great wine.
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10/22/2021 - galewskj wrote: 94 Points
A stacked cabernet lineup (James and Carrie's house): Very traditional, with saddle leather, herbs (sage?), black cherry, forest floor, soy and slight menthol.
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10/22/2021 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 95 Points
Outstanding Old World Napa Cabs: Splash decant, then 2 hours Slo O - Nose was nice with black fruit and menthol dominating, but hints of earth and some leather lurking in the background. Palate showed plenty of black fruit, some red fruit, eucalyptus, sage, earth and graphite, with enough well-integrated tannins to still give a slight pucker. Finish was medium long and very tasty! This wine still has plenty of life, but is drinking quite well now! Easily 94+ to 95 tonight! Group's #2 (tied with 91 Dunn) and my #3.
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10/22/2021 - rocknroller wrote: 94 Points
Old OG Napa Cabs (James & Carrie's, Northern Burbs, Mpls): Very dark red/purple color with a 5mm transition to clear. Splash double decanted, drank a glass over 3 hours. Sweet ripe fruits, earthy, plum, cassis, clove, spice, fairly subtle eucalyptus on the nose with hints of blood orange. The palate also shows the brightness, cassis, sweet plum, blackberry, blackberry liqueur, eucalyptus, earth, and spice with a deep sultry finish. This got better and better through the evening and was wine of the flight between this, the '95 Insignia and the '97 Mondavi.
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7/25/2020 - Diane (LI) wrote:
Fully relaxed tannins, cherries, smoked meat,espresso, and lingering finish. Lovely to drink a wine at peak.
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5/17/2020 - galewskj wrote: 94 Points
Served single-blind. I thought this wine was fully resolved. Lovely tertiary elements, savory sage, funk, scorced earth, cigar box, leather. There was no noticeable eucalyptus.
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5/14/2020 - rocknroller wrote: 91 Points
Single Blind Old Napa Virtual Tasting (Home): Very dark red color with a 15 mm transitional margin. PNP, poured into vessels and capped 2 hours prior to pouring into glasses. Drank 2 glasses single blind over 3 hours. I've had the '96 Martha's a number of times and it has always been fantastic. This was good, but certainly didn't have me thinking that's what we're drinking. The nose is nice, wood spice, dried cherry, cassis, with damp earth emerging gradually. The palate has a more medium full body, cassis, a little dirty, blackberry, plum and woodsy, earth and little metallic minerality. Not the best example we've had. 91+ to 92pts.
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5/14/2020 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 94 Points
This was a single blind tasting. Everyone knew the wines, but not the order or which wine was which....the lineup:
1996 Ridge Monte Bello
2011 Myriad Cellars
2001 Joseph Phelps Insignia
1996 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Martha’s Vineyard
2002 Dunn Howell Mountain
2012 Kirkland Signature Series Cabernet Sauvignon
2010 Araujo Estate Sauvignon Blanc Eisele Vineyard
Dunn was opened and decanted to remove sediment, then back in the bottle at 2:30, until 4:45, when it was poured into jar 6 oz for transporting. The rest of the wines were poured in glass jars starting at 4:15. Tasting began at 6:30. All wines were tasted between 6:30 and 8:00. Group's number 1 wine was the 1992 Dunn. Number 2 wine was the 1996 Heitz Martha's Vineyard.
1996 Heitz Martha's Vineyard - Wine showed very well! Deep purple with no noticeable bricking. Still looked like a youngster...if only we could all age so gracefully! The nose showed mushroom, leather and some spice, with hints of red current and stewed plums. The nose was not as pronounced as I have seen with Martha's in the past (and tell-tale sign of eucalyptus was missing). What the wine lacked in the nose, it more than made up for on the palate. This was my favorite wine on the palate, just a smidge ahead of the Dunn, and if the nose was more pronounced, that would have been enough to catapult this wine to number 1. This is another wine that showed well, and while it is doubtful it will improve, it still has a long life ahead of it. Drink whenever the occasion presents itself, you will not be sorry! (But you also do not need to be in hurry to drink either). Revisited the next morning, and still drinking nicely...raised the score one point to a solid 94.
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6/6/2019 - galewskj wrote: 95 Points
"Wow" wines (Jason's House): Decanted an hour. This wine opened in the glass. Very traditional, with saddle leather, sage, eucalyptus, cigar box. What impressed me was the completeness of the wine. Having said that, it was elegant and balanced, not flashy, and a little "more" would elevate this wine further.
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6/6/2019 - For the Love of Wine Likes this wine: 96 Points
Wines that "wow" you (Jason's House): This was another wow'er of a wine in the lineup. An excellent bottle of that had an hour decant and a couple of additional hours being slowly oxidized in the bottle. This HM was singing tonight. Typical Heitz nose of eucalyptus, earth, and leather, but also additional complexity of spice, herbs and a touch of honeysuckle sweetness. On the palate, this wine really showed its character! Very balanced and well integrated notes of black current, blackberries and all the elements on the nose. The tannins were velvety and the finish was nice and long, but left you wanting another sip to savor. The groups WOTN, my #2. Can't imagine this drinking much better!
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6/6/2019 - rocknroller wrote: 95 Points
Guy's Night Out: Wow Wines (Jason P's, St. Paul, MN): Very dark red color with no bricking. Decanted for an hour and also saw a several hours of slow-O. Drank a glass over 2 hours. This just sat in the glass while I was completely mesmerized by the '92 Araujo Eiselle. I finally got around to picking up my glass as the table talk around the '96 perked my ears. The '96 is a pretty brilliant version of Martha's with a provocative nose of citrus zest, light eucayptus, dried herbs, savory dried spices, anise and dark fruits. The palate is full bodied, earthy, velvet texture, great purity, cassis, dark wild boysenberry, pencil, menthol, awesome spices and melded satiny tannins. Outstanding; my and group WOTN.
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9/17/2017 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
Nico's Night of Wonders (Chez Siggy & Jenny's Place, Mpls, MN): Very dark red/purple color. this had an hour decant and some additional slow-O time. Drank 1 glass over an hour. Same bottle as Chablis28 and I'm left with the same impressions. Tonight this felt younger and and a bit more brooding than a previous bottle that was stunning. This showed some earth, more sappy dark fruits, high toned wood spices and graphite. Not much of the signature eucalyptus on this one.
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9/17/2017 - chablis28 wrote: 92 Points
I was a little let down tonight. Tonight this tasted overly youthful and rich to me. It was very nice btl but not what I hoped for. Based on tonight this needs at least 3-5 more years before it shows more range and depth. Tonight it reminded me of lot of well made CA Cab rather than a mature, in the pocket, 21 yr old legend. I only decanted it for an hour and then back into the btl. Pulled the cork out again about 30 minutes prior to drinking. Maybe a lot more air would have helped but this drank more like an 05.
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2/5/2017 - Papies wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Needed for sure.
A very solid wine here, well made with good level of fruit and tannin. On the youngish side still even at 21yrs of age and with lots of healthy life ahead. The issue we have with Heitz's MV is that very particular, menthol/eucalyptus nose , very pronounced and distinct (saw it on all MVs we tried), and in a way medicinal at times. Just not our cup of tea to be honest. Very solid wine but no more than a 91-92 for us.
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11/5/2016 - jsebiri wrote:
Well put together wine , holding up very very well. Very Good.Tasted against a 1996 Las Cases, which wasn't in the best place right now.
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10/23/2016 - Genghis88 wrote:
Two hour decant.
Rusty, ruddy garnet color, brick rim,medium plus body
Musty nose, faint black fruit, cigar box
Silky smooth, velvety medium finish
Floral hints, stewed black fruit tobacco, leathery.
I think the window is rapidly closing on this vintage, thus my inablity to fairly score the bottle. it 'WAS' very good at some point.
Drink your wine in time folks!
@Homer with the Pies
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8/28/2016 - Mark1npt Likes this wine: 94 Points
Picked this up just a few years ago, so didn't know how it had been stored before that. Kept on its side for 2 years in the chiller. Taken to a local french spot, popped and enjoyed with escargot in a pesto/garlic sauce followed by a thick veal chop and in sauce with various designer mushrooms. Absolutely heaven. Cork was saturated but expertly removed in one piece by our server. Great Martha's eucalyptus nose, mild but so distinguished. Clean subtle fruit, completely integrated tannins, just went down too easily with all four of us.....seems like it would last longer but I'd hate to sacrifice any further loss in flavor profile. Drink up!
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4/30/2016 - dsvtec wrote: 93 Points
Still very good. Lots of mellow tannins and very subtle fruit.
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4/2/2016 - The Vines That Bind wrote: flawed
Old Heitz Martha's v. Old Ridge Monte Bello (NoMad): TCA
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1/1/2016 - Nekodab wrote: 96 Points
Smooth elegant, surprisingly fruit forward, Lieutenant slow ass city just how I love it.
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12/27/2015 - mcneil7 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still plenty of fruit good smooth body some dark fruit on the nose and very balanced taste nice linger
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8/17/2015 - mosborn Likes this wine: 99 Points
Pop and pour. Nervous about a saturated cork, but the wine was absolutely beautiful. Fantastic bottle of wine.
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4/23/2015 - chablis28 wrote: 97 Points
What RnR said below. This wine did not disappoint! A recent single btl acquisition in unbelievably great shape. Who sells this stuff??? I sure wouldn't Paid $145 and drank more like $200+. Exceptional balance, power and yet so focused and in a way, refined and graceful. Penetrating, complex and suave. Maybe best tannin situation ever for a Cab. Loved it. I'm re-catching some of my early fire for CA Cabernet... when done right. This was a much better spend then buying the latest cult made by some .com millionaire. A stellar wine tonight amongst several stellar wines. We walked outside around 10PM to a crystal clear evening sky full of stars. I think those stars aligned tonight.
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4/23/2015 - rocknroller wrote: 95 Points
A Decadent Night of 1990's Napa Cabs and Bordeaux (Chez Dalluge, MN): Very dark red color, minimal bricked margin. Splash double decant; drank 1 glass over 3 hours. OMG, what a nose, this grabs you immediately and just throttles your senses, very earthy, anise, dry earth, sandalwood, perfumed, menthol, deep berries. The palate has depth with classic eucalyptus/minty goodness, earthy, fresh, gorgeous with well integrated oak, cassis, black fruits, and a long invigorating finish. Simply outstanding, thanks Craig for bringing this gem. Remarkably fresh; yet developed, this is just splendid. 95+pts.
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1/16/2015 - sunnylea57 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Sublime and beautifully integrated dark fruit, pencil shavings, cigar box, cedar. Luscious, round mouth feel. Plenty of cassis/black currant, but balanced perfectly with the secondary and tertiary notes. Long, luxurious finish. The best bottle of the '96 I've enjoyed to date.
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12/19/2014 - amflinn wrote: 93 Points
Drinking beautifully. Still vibrant fruit, vanilla, dark cherries and cola. Resolved tannins. Wish I had more. NB: This wine traveled extremely long and well...hand carried Napa to LA, then three trips back and forth over the Atlantic fifteen years later and finally consumed in rural England.
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12/11/2014 - acyso wrote: 88 Points
Domaine End of Year Party (Chicago, IL): Just the right amount of brett for me (I'm pretty sensitive, but can bear a little bit). On the other hand, the palate is a bit round, juicy, and sweet, without much other character, which makes this wine seem a bit dumb.
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11/29/2014 - BuffaloBandit Likes this wine: 96 Points
This wine is drinking beautifully right now. Decanted for about 4 hours prior to drinking and it showed wonderfully. Lush red fruit and a little cherry cola and chocolate notes. Drink up as it doesn't get much better than this.
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10/28/2014 - AWBryce wrote: 93 Points
Eucalyptus and dark ripe fruit. Smooth tannin. This screams Cali cab and in the best way possible. This bottle was excellent.
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9/21/2014 - sunnylea57 Likes this wine: 93 Points
My second of 3 bottles of the 1996 Martha's and it's just as good as the previous bottle. All three came from the same original owner source and had been properly stored since purchase.
This is one elegant, harmonious wine. Silky smooth - tannins fully integrated. Very little sediment. Pure and deep flavours of cassis, eucalyptus (of course), black cherry, cola, wet cedar. Good acidity.
Just a pleasure to drink.
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6/15/2014 - no leashes wrote: 92 Points
Delicious dark cherry, eucalyptus and cedar flavors, beautifully balanced. Long finish, smooth texture. We gave it about a half hour decant. Drinking beautifully.
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2/15/2014 - WoodieBayArea wrote: 91 Points
classic heitz but on very low volume, not fruit bomb and you could taste tree (pine or eucalyptus?) but no other palate elements that stood out, i guess i would call it simple… wonder if this just needs another ten years? didn't taste like it was fading, but just sort of 'simple'
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11/22/2013 - EJKIII wrote: 96 Points
Aarrrrgh! Last bottle (#10,546) of this beauty....a bittersweet moment. Still youthful at 17 years old. Very minor bricking, and a bit of old Cab must, but perfectly integrated and balanced. Still has plenty of fruit. Eucalyptus, mint and some charred meat come through on the nose. Could be another 10 years of life for anyone lucky enough to have more.
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8/19/2013 - Wine_lvr Likes this wine: 96 Points
My Birthaday Party: Family, Friends, Food and Wine !!! (My home): And now my WOTN. First I did not even wanted to bring it into the tasting as I recall this as a very rustic and unbalanced wine. But as it was the only 1996 Napa Cab at hand I still decided to open it. Good decisions as this wine turned from the ugly duckling (in 2010) into a beautiful swan. Or better said from barn flavors into a wonderful and fruit covered wine.
The nose showed flavors of Coke, Mint and Caramel. Flavors of plums. This wine is very complex and multi-dimensional. Just amazing how a wine can change in a few years of time. Great post-Phyloxery Heitz Martha's. I love it! Drink now - 2025.
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2/23/2013 - Ornumsi wrote: 93 Points
We had a remarkable wine experience last night where a group of us drank 10 vintages of Heitz Cellar Martha's Vineyard Cab Sauv ('88-'92 and '96-'00). The drag is we accidentally deleted our tasting notes so have to work from memory:
'96 Beautifully preserved. Has several years left in the bottle. Good dark garnet color. Complex fruit and eucalyptus nose. Great remaining structure with medium tannins, balanced acidity. Dark berries, green pepper and mint/eucalyptus palate. Long finish. Really worked well with the seared fois gras.
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2/9/2013 - EJKIII wrote: 95 Points
Beautifully aging Heitz MV. Leather and tobacco nose. Smooth, well-integrated. Still plenty of fruit.....dark cherries, followed by leather, tobacco and a hint of chocolate. Long, gentle, but distinct finish. There are still a few years left in this, but it's so perfect now.....why wait?
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1/4/2013 - Tracypyo wrote: 95 Points
Commanders Palace New Orleans wine purchase with dinner. Beautifully cellared with great cork condition. No bricking noted, aromas of subtle earth and gardenias, lots of fruit remaining on the palate after an amazingly smooth entry. Drinking incredibly well now and still has some years left if stored properly. Smooth as silk!
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12/22/2012 - ricknat1 wrote: 91 Points
smooth as silk after 2 hours in decanter. Rich, long but not terrifically complex
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12/31/2011 - arappaport wrote: 94 Points
Really aging well. Beautiful structure now, has at least another decade. Opened between a 78 Martha's and a 96 Screaming eagle. This wine lacks the purer Bourdeaux character of the 78, but is aging much, much better than the Screaming Eagle. The SE was all fading fruit, while this one had nice complexity, typical Martha's eucalyptus, etc. Looking forward to seeing what it does from here.
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10/28/2011 - wineaux2 wrote:
A lovely Martha’s that seems to be aging well. The wine had classic Martha’s notes of chocolate covered mint, eucalyptus, currants and leather on the nose and palate. The leather note was prominent, indicating the age on this one, but not overpowering. The body was on the thin side at first but filled out with air. Saved a few glasses for day 2; all the tasting note components were still there, though the fruit showed more sweetness. This one seemed like it still had enough primary fruit to allow it to easily age another decade.
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8/13/2011 - psmith wrote:
Ripe red fruits. Classic characteristics, with fine tannins. A bit top heavy and flashy. Sweet fruit. Nice.
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8/13/2011 - Burgundy Al wrote: 84 Points
Another Saturday at Knightsbridge - mostly blind (Northbrook, IL): Tasted double blind. Dense, chewy and meaty. Lots of black fruit with less interesting spice. Big tannins, short on acidity, I though this was flabby and unbalanced. Others liked this far more than I did.
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6/4/2011 - arthrovine wrote: 93 Points
still lots of life left in this one
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5/8/2011 - buckeye76 wrote: 96 Points
BLACK CHERRIES, BLACKBERRIES, AND SPICE IN THE NOSE WITH DEEP BERRY FRUIT, BLACK CHERRIES, AND A TOUCH OF CHOCOLATE IN THE FLAVOR. ELEGANT WINE WITH NICE COMPLEXITY AND A LONG FINISH.
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2/16/2011 - Tartiflette wrote: 89 Points
(La Buca degli Artisti, Copenhagen) Very good cap.
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1/27/2011 - no leashes wrote: 92 Points
dark cherry, mocha, earth, cassis and coffee flavors, well balanced and delicious.
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12/18/2010 - marshalc wrote: 94 Points
Lafite-like in nose and mouth. Impressive. Good length that might not match Lafite, but an overall fine effort that won't seem to benefit from further age.
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2/21/2010 - austinwinesalon wrote:
Definitive Bordeaux (Mirabelle Restaurant Austin, Texas): Drinking quite well, this wine had vanilla, new wood, and barnyard on the nose, and lots of good, dark fruit, even raisins, on the palate. It was the roundest wine in the flight, maybe had less structure, but was very good with food. There were two takes on this wine: one group found bright cherry, dark fruit, ripeness, and jam flavors (they thought this the 96 Mouton), another group thought the wine simple, grassy on the nose, with plum, stew, and minerals on the palate, and moving on a downward slope (the french and quilceda snobs). It was a better than expected Heitz, and gave the Mouton a good contest--a tie, in a tannic year for both.
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11/14/2009 - mcneil7 wrote: 93 Points
Took a party of other wine lovers we all liked it. Opened nicely with dark red fruits and some tannins little oak and vanilla. Taste was wonderful cab taste from Oakville.
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5/4/2009 - BuffaloBandit wrote: 89 Points
Very meaty. Took about an hour to really open up, but it turned out pretty nice. A little flabby on the finish, but we had it without any food, so it seems like it would work really well with some grilled lamb or steak.
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4/21/2009 - sirswami wrote: 92 Points
Distinctive Napa effort for sure, more reminiscent of a true Bordeaux but with the unique combination of flavors only generated in Martha's vineyard - menthol, spice and coffee overalying plenty of black fruit (and jjclips2 nailed it with "a dollop of horse funk on the nose"). It makes itself approachable after some air but I definitely think time is on your side if you are fortunate enough to have some in the cellar.
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2/26/2009 - jjclips2 wrote: 96 Points
Fantastic. First time I thought this wine was worth it. Distinctly Martha's vyd with tons of menthol, mocha, and spice. Nice black currants with a dollop of horse funk on the nose. The palate is relatively elegant with fine grained tannins, great black fruit core, and more mint. Comparable to top growth Bordeaux. Stunning!
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1/17/2009 - no leashes wrote: 93 Points
Delicious dark cherry, berry, cassis, coffee, and the trademark MV eucalyptus. Drinking beautifully.
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11/24/2008 - arthrovine wrote: 93 Points
Open and drank immediately. Decanted sediment. Perfect cork. Drinking very well right now. It is a delicate cab with dark chocolate, tobacco, and earthy hues. Tannins are very light. This is now an old-world cab and not a typical california style. Would be great with a new york/filet. Beautiful, complex wine.
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11/10/2008 - vinopaedics wrote: 96 Points
Drinking very well right now. Tannins coat the mouth.
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9/5/2008 - mcneil7 wrote: 90 Points
Tasted nicely, some of us considerd it to almost starting to oxidize. Wine has been a wine room at 55 degrees since released. Dark fruits on the nose with some dirt tobacco, taste was firm but had an edge to it.
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8/20/2008 - ricknat1 wrote: 91 Points
Garnet in color. Low rim variation. Slow legs. Spicy, leather,Smokey, Carnation. Full bodied. Smooth texture. Long finish. Terrific finesse and just beginning to come into its own
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5/15/2008 - jtsherman wrote: 91 Points
Had this with a dinner of grilled ribeye -- found it to be tight and tannic at first, but it opened up quickly and became a really lean, elegant bottle. This wasn't a "big" cab -- it had finesse that reminded me of an old world bottle.
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1/14/2008 - kanjimoti wrote: 91 Points
I won't say much about this wine because it didn't say much to me. The 1996 Heitz Martha's Vineyard is still backward and closed with gritty tannins in the form of good grip and a leathery finish. The menthol characteristic one finds in so many Napa wines is fully present and dominates the front of the palate(the finish as well for that matter). The dark fruit is lurking underneath the tannin somewhere but needs another five to six years to emerge. This is a hugely structured wine that is just showing glimpses of it's potential. If you are reading this and only have one bottle of this I implore you to wait at least until 2012 to open it. If you have more than one bottle, open one, write a review here on CT, and tell me if you agree. This is potentially a 94-point wine.
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8/26/2007 - Giladog wrote: 94 Points
Pure, minty, floral and concentrated, this wine is memorable. Perfect balance and long finish, paired fabulously with slow roasted baby back ribs and a twice baked potato.
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5/21/2007 - texaswino wrote: 94 Points
very nice. Currants, mint, chocolate and cherries with a long smooth finish and superb balance. Lovely wine.
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2/11/2007 - BuffaloBandit wrote: 96 Points
This bottle was absolutely delicious. I look forward to seeing how much better it gets over the years.
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7/22/2006 - G SQUARED wrote: 89 Points
Dinner with Jeff, Russ & Jeff at Cafe Ponte. This is a "nice" wine. I mean, it has the usual Napa Cab nose and taste but nothing more. The hint of Eucalyptus that used to mark this wine isn't evident anymore and I feel it's lacking character. Just not very terroiristic at all. It's good though, don't get me wrong, I just wouldn't classify it as anything special. The main thing that came to mind was sweet, almost candy-like.
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7/14/2006 - Giladog wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful black cherry and herbal tones highlight this rich cabernet. Always a solid performer, this vintage is no different.
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8/14/2005 - EricBe wrote: 93 Points
yummy with leg of lamb - a hint of anise, not a fruit bomb, but enough fruit & alcohol in balance to create an awesome complement to the meal.
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2/20/2005 - shaferguy91 wrote: 92 Points
SG92
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1/1/2005 - wcooper wrote:
New Years Eve............Terrific nose with nice balance. Not an overpowering wine. Was great with rack of lamb.
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