Decanted 2 hours before I touched it and therefore, with a group, only one chance to sample. Nice dark cherry and brambly fruit, eucalyptus, chocolate, and spicy nose and palate. Full bodied. A baby Martha’s from a great vintage- but with a ton of room and time to develop to higher highs! More old (and even older) Martha’s please.
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Decanted 2 hours before trying it. Even then, it still showed a bit too young. So happy to see some Napa classics that did not get Parkerized by the late 1990s. Because of its youth, all of the best of what Martha's has to offer were still a bit hidden. I will definitely be looking forward to revisiting this wine in 5 and 10 more years as there is definitive upside remaining.
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Wine Workshop: Heitz Martha's Vineyard (The Dutch): One of the best producers for '97 and a place that created a wine that doesn't seem to fall prey to the one dimensional fruit style that so many others do. There's definitely a darker boysenberry flavor here but also that mint and eucalyptus and just generally a great freshness to it. It's not my favorite year for Napa but I'd always be happy with this wine. Even more impressive since it's just a few years on the new rootstock after the phylloxera issues in '93.
A bit tightly wound and primary, not yet showing the signature Heitz MV hallmarks one would expect from an older vintage. Drinking nicely today with some air, or else ideally give this a few more years to develop further.
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Also off the list at Fore Street in Portland. I'll admit I'm usually a bit skeptical of the '97 vintage which I think might just be a bit on the too big side but Heitz is a producer I trust and this was just rocking. Some of that eucalyptus or almost mint-like character in addition to the dark fruits. Still very young and I imagine could go for many years, but this was wonderful even now with a good decant.
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Truly an amazing wine. The elegance and finesse are striking for Napa Cab, almost feminine. Good concentration, lively acids keep this wine fresh. Violets, mushroom, plums, graphite, red currents. Really can’t wait to have it again!
leather, black cherry, tobacco, anise, mint, forest floor, clove, bramble, eucalyptus, and cedar
matured fruit, aromatic spices and earth undertones. nice spot for drinking, but provenance is everything. I've had bottles that don't taste quite the same or are much more dull when not direct from winery. Fortunate this one was.
Beautiful wine that is just barely beginning to show tertiary (oxidative) notes. The fruit is still extremely well intact. Acid is still bright and fresh as well. The tannins have softened quite a bit but are still plenty hearty to match with my ribeye. If not for the fact the finish felt a bit too short this wine would damn near be perfect. Drink now or by 2023
A bit dull in color, this wine disappointed after a one-hour decant. Tasted among flights of other contemporaries from Bordeaux and Napa it failed to measure up, dropping off initial wave of cocoa and blueberry to a flat mid palate before fading to an earthy finish of oregano, herb and eucalyptus. Not a bad wine by any means, but not holding together all that well and probably 2 years past its peak.
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Bright, shiny, crystalline transparent garnet of homogeneous color and beauty, nose clean, fresh, violet floral notes initially that transform into fruity metallics later, tears of fast moving medium viscosity, streaming, mouth of fresh plum and cassis, quiet and subtle spice, tannins and American oak notes of honeyed toasted bark, clean bright refreshing finish, medium + body, terrific balance in acidic and quiet tannin hint of cleansing bitters, nothing gripping yet structurally sound. A beautiful wine thoroughly enjoyable on its own. An honorable testament to Joe Heitz. Well done. Will compare tonight in a vertical against the 1998 Martha's Vineyard...We love this wine! Peaking now drink up in the year ahead.
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Consumed at the French Laundry for my 50th birthday and decanted for 30 minutes prior to serving. This was the worst day (AARP card) and also one of the best days of my life (wine and restaurant).
Probably the greatest wine that I ever had the pleasure to drink. Mid-weight yet it possesses amazing structure, not contributing to a sense of mass but rather to its overall proportion and symmetry. There is beautiful fruit here and also secondary flavors which together create a complete whole. Pointing out “fruit” and “secondary flavors” not as separate components but rather as two different descriptors which were part of a continuum of flavor.
This wine can easily go another 10 years but it currently wants for nothing so why wait?
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This wine has matured into one of best Cabs I have tasted in the last 30 years. If you have a bottle drink it. If you can find a bottle buy it. Yes it’s that good. Dark, rich fruit, full bodied, mellow tannins, long finish. Top of the line in all respects. Alas this was my last bottle.
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this totally held up well - popped, decanted quickly and drank. terrific juice that had aged well - more secondary characteristics now but really excellent.
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Holding up very well. Decanted and let breath for 90 minutes. Initial assessment was that it was going to be a bit funky, with overripe fruit/raisins coming through quite strongly. After some air those notes blew off and a very mellow, smooth delight waited in the glass. Good dark fruits and balanced acidity were my primary recollections.
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Very nice, very mature California Cabernet. True to its origin, there’s a distinct note of eucalyptus on both nose and palate. Fairly straightforward blueberry and blackberry fruit flavor and the mid-palate is slightly weak. No perceptible tannin, so the mouth feel is soft and smooth, maybe too much. A tasty drink to be sure but not memorable.
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I agree with the previous tastings notes others have posted for this wine. Still holding up very nicely in summer 2017. Cork still solid. No bricking. Minimal sediment. Excellent in all respects. Best to drink soon while it is at this level.
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This is one of the landmark vintages (I believe Joe Heitz last vintage?) Dark red cherry, currant, baking spices, floral notes and the trademark eucalyptus and mint on the palate. Medium weight, silky mouth feel, tannins resolved. Still youthful even at this point but drinking very well. Gorgeous wine that has at least another 10years in it...one of the highlights of the evening for me.
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Old Heitz Martha's v. Old Ridge Monte Bello (NoMad): Medium nose, red and black cherry, currant, becomes more expressive with time. Both more powerful and with better development than the '97 Ridge Monte Bello. Expansive and dense on the palate, loads of fruit. In a good place for drinking now.
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Decanted for 1-1/2 hrs. Christine BRUCE(HILLIARD BRUCE) said it was the best Cab she's had in the last year. Classic mint and eucalyptus notes, and well balanced with an extended finish. Surprisingly no sediment.
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9 hrs after decanting( after a tasting(actually got better) Dark ruby red; nose is a blend of mint and cabernet, (later tasting less mint); full body with no hint of age, red berry flavors follow right on the sweet fruit nose; seamless finish of the whole wine with 45+ sec finish. Score might be too low.
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What this lack for in concentration, it more than makes up for with its tell-tale mint, menthol and eucalyptus scents that enhance the fresh ripe cherries. The wine is soft, smooth and drinking in prime time today.
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Tasted alongside the '84 and '09 - over breakfast at Martha's Vineyard hosted by the May family. Loved hearing Tom May's great stories about their early days going into business with the Heitz family - as we drank wine from this commemorative bottle honoring the late Joe Heitz. This '97 was also delicious, but slightly preferred the '84. Similar notes of dark cherry and eucalyptus flavors - although slightly less mature and resolved than the '84. Still a stand out on its own.
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This was one of the larger and plusher Martha's of the night. It had much less complexity on the nose than any of the 80s or 70s bottles with aromas of cherry, plum, cedar, mocha and earth spice but very little signature Marthas mint. Waves of red and blue fruit on the palate with some nice fine tannins and mocha flavors as a nice backdrop to the fruit and nicely developing secondary notes of cedar and tobacco a bit of mint and sage. This is a hedonistic//riper Martha's but we agreed this won't age gracefully for 40 years like the 76 we drank in the flight due to its ripe nature, less structure, and less acid. I plan to drink my half case up over the next decade but save one for the 2030s to see if that is right!
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Very musty upon opening, originally thought it might be corked. Decanted for over an hour and let rest and glad I did. Turned out to be a great wine with lots of life left. I can't imagine this improving any further with age, but likely will drink well for another 5 - 7 years.
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NY Wine Experience 2014 (Marriot Marquis): This was fantastic. Drank this along the Bordeauxs and it fit right in. Slightly richer and fuller. some cigar, currants. boysenberry. all entwined nicely in an earthy seamless package.
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2014 New York Wine Experience Trip; 10/14/2014-10/21/2014 (New York City, NY): From a pristinely-cellared bottle (provided by the winery), this showing demonstrates that there were many who misjudged it early on. At present, it is nothing short of sensational. Now fully mature, it packs plenty of black fruit in a freshly acidic frame, with seamless alcohol and soft residual tannins. The fruit is supported by anise, pipe tobacco and sage, with only a pleasant hint of eucalyptus. With great persistence in the middle, it closes with a long, smooth finish. Disbelievers who misjudged this wine in the past should taste it now (from a well-cellared bottle). Bravo to Heitz for holding a steady course! Drink now-2022.
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Decanted, but only about an hour. Wonderful nose, extraordinary. Didn't get the eucalyptus that I have in other years, but that doesn't do much for me anyway. Lots of fruit, borderline sweet but not. Medium to full body but really great. Wish I had a cellar full. I didn't want to take my nose out of the glass, wonderful experience.
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Decanted for about 3-4 hours and gave it time to open up. Lots of juicy red fruit and cherry cola. Still plenty of youth in this bottle, but drinking quite well right now.
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Decanted for an hour before consumption at Bourbon Steak. This bottle has many years ahead of it. Dark purple - not showing any age whatsoever. Bouquet of blackberry, ecalyptus, cedar, and hints of leather. Everything was correctly proportioned. Clear, precise fuit, supporting acidity and relaxed tannins harmoniously complimented each other. Layers and layers of mature fruit unfold over the pallet. The finish as enjoyable as the beginning. Fantastic.
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Dark core with ruby edge looking very youthful; strong nose of eucalyptus (cliche but this is it), graphite, wet cement, dark fruit, cedar, and hardly noticeable oak; rich, powerful, polished, youthful, with decent acid. This is delicious. Recommend some decanting which really brought out the nose and toned down the oak.
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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:
'97 Probably my favourite of the night! Has several years left in the bottle. Good dark garnet color. Great remaining structure with medium tannins, balanced acidity. Dark berries, green pepper and mint/eucalyptus palate. I recall this having such a lush mouth feel which set it apart from the other vintages.Long finish. Really worked well with the seared fois gras.
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This wine is in a v good place right now. Rich dark fruits, nice texture and great balance. I annoyed it more and more as the night went on. Wish I had more
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Tasted and then decanted for about an hour. Opened up nicely. Distinct nose... then fruit... a smooth but unmemorable finish. Didn't leave as much of an impression as the 2001 which I enjoyed earlier in the week... But to be fair, drank the '01 at a fine restaurant with dinner vs having the '97 at home with pizza. An excellent wine non the less.
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American Belle 1st Edition (Switzerland): Tasted blind: Deep in color. Nose of Kirsch, berry marmelade and roasted coffee. Powerful, balanced yet very elegant though all a bit on the modern side for a Heitz. It is a good wine but it cannot be compated to the pre-Phylloxera Heitz Martha's. Maybe with time it will become a true Martha's... Drink now - 2030
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Ecstasy in a glass. Decanted for two hours prior to drinking. 15 years on, this wine is still standing tall. Absolutely no signs of ageing on the nose, or in appearance. The nose expresses lots of barrel toast, along with dark fruits and fig. The palette is very smokey in a nice way, but it does overpower the fruit, somewhat, hence my score. This wine is perfectly delineated. The structure is perfection. We have a Chappellet 1997 to follow this. I wonder which one will take the prize?
:0)
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Decanted for 5 hours before initial tasting. Even at the time of opening, you could tell this was going to be good, strong cherry aroma. Initial tastings revealed strong cigar box & eucalyptus aromatics, nice red berry and cherry fruit flavors, a bit of dusty tannins. No sign of burnout. Very long finish. A very elegant tasting wine, lots of different flavor components to taste, not a fruit bomb at all. Re-tasted after 24 hour decant, still going strong, the aromatics had dropped off a bit, but the fruits stayed strong. Drinking fabulously well right now, but no sign of being past its prime. I wish I had more.
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Stunning Wine. Decanted for 3 hours and served with a variety of foods (trailing end of the main course through chocolate). Am on the lookout for more. Amazing nose from the moment it hit the decanter to when it was consumed. Incredible balance.
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Wineterfest 2012: Nose of cassis, tobacco, eucalyptus, and maple syrup. Flavors of leather, pomegranite, and some chalkiness. nicely done and the wine is going strong at this point.
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Dark red. Coffee, plum and some red fruit in a very tight concentrated nose. Sweet entry and a long dry finish.
When we found out what this was I searched for the menthol, eucalyptus notes in the nose and they weren't there. This seems to be an infant and needs time to shake it out. I will not score it for that reason.
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An elegant, well-aged Napa cab. A bit disappointing given the hoopla over Martha and her vineyard. Medium bodied with a short finish; silky tannins under pleasant berry fruit. Not much complexity and no 'menthol'. For all the hype I have had $20 cabs that had more going on. Bummer. Maybe the next one will shine.
Absolutely incredible wine with amazing nose and beatiful Bordeaux like layers. The finish just seems to go on and on with this. This is my last bottle and one that i won't soon forget!!!
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elzer cancer society charity dinner. ok, nice wine, but i just didn't understand the gushing, almost slobbering love by so many others plastered all over their glass of this. but then, when do i ever? i will say that it showed maturity of fruit and tannin in a nice mixture/balance. better when studied rather than casually consumed. very mild menthol/eucalyptus, at least i think. maybe i was subliminally being controlled by the peeps.
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This is one of the most elegant examples of what a California Cab should be. The wine is flawless and totally integrated in all of its elements. One would think it was an exquite Bordeaux.
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Light garnet. Distinctive nose - Crème de cassis infused with pine branches. Integrated with good length and finish. Got better and better with air. I like this wine. (92)
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We gave this about 3 hours to breath, but it opened up considerably more as we drank it. Very spicy at first, lots of oak, but mellowed to reveal good fruit. Still has plenty of acidity and I think this will keep improving for a number of years. Next time, I'd give it at least 4 hours in the decanter before pouring it. Definitely an excellent wine.
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Wow. What an incredible surprise. Based on earlier reviews, my expectations were low. This was unbelievably great. Wonderful Bordeaux-like nose, with a rich depth and great fruit. On the palate, this was complex, with great underlying fruit, a richness, and yes, even some of the mint thing. This really was in its perfect drinkability window, and compared very well to a French Bordeaux. It was quite a wonderful surprise.
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PUC Elementary Fundraiser Dinner (Neal Family Vineyards): Garnet color, bricking toward the rim. Aromas of mint, dark fruit, plum and eucalyptus. Absolutely gorgeous on the palate. Seamless...perfectly integrated. A mix of red and dark fruit flavors, with a savory herbal undertone that lingers on the finish. Based on this bottle, I'd say this wine has plenty of life left. Thanks to Alder, one of our table mates, for getting a winning bid on this beauty. 94-96 pts.
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Aged ruby with slight bricking. Past it's prime? Possibly as the fine grained tannins seem to dominate. Still a fine wine with light oak, finely sugared plum and cigar boxed flavours.
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Blinded out of 25, it did not reveal the mint thing and so got missed by everyone. But it was still a nice wine w/ black and blue berry fruit of good depth and a hint of spice. Very decent length and it held up on day .2
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At Pastis, Coral Gables w Danny Spring & Jean-Marc, and Rich Findler. Rich's wine. It arrived unopened at 72F. I had Florence open it, and put it next to my insulated ice-pak to cool it for 1/2 hour. It followed the 2000 Les Cailloux Centenaiire. Far superior to the Centenaire. Drinking beautifully now, but as others suggest the classic eucalyptus/mint character is absent. Having tasted the 74 recently, I will let my bottle sleep for a decade at least, or give it to my grandson, Joshua. Not a good QPR.
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Ripe black fruit on nose without much else. Some mint accompanied the black cherry and plum flavors on palate, with good balance but without anything really outstanding.
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Klingenstein Dinner w/Stephan Blicker (Custom House): Opaque black/red color. Lovely clean black fruit nose, but only a hint of the telltale Marth's mint. Full tight black fruit with hints of mint carrying through to the palate. Very nice.
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Excellent balance, very rich, sweet fruit yet some of the tannins are still hanging in providing a dry finish. I would drink this as a standalone...much too much going on to have it complete with food and not as acidic as many other cabs.
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Agree with Psmith below. Classic mint/eucalyptus somewhat restrained. Soft texture, well balanced, good length. Sweet black fruit. Very nice bottle, will improve. (Celebrating last day of work!)
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Pure black cherry, some MV eucalyptus, classic green notes and dark, toasted wood. A medium-bodied, nicely restrained, classic Napa cabernet. Medium-grain tannin and good balance, weight, and length. This will only get better. ***+/5
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Enjoyed the last bottle at Ivans on the Bay who by the way have a very nice wine selection. Group of 4 dinners enjoyed the wine, many comments were that it was soft and had nice even berry flavors though finish. Was a little shallow but that may have been due to not letting it breath prior to enjoying it, was a very very nice wine but not a knock your socks off experience. Next bottle I have I will decant and see what happens.
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Dinner at Lampreia (Seattle, WA, USA): Served blind. Clearly this was Napa. The initial aromatic impression was sweet with powdered sugar, mint, some oak spice, eventually showing a lot more oaky-caramel with time in the glass. On the palate this was ripe and pleasing with nice weight, very plummy.
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Musky cabernet sauvignon nose. Still the lightness that seems to be a characteristic of Heitz on today's tasting. Huge structure. Excellent. Really noticeably superior to the other Heitz wines on show today.
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3/13/2024 - paulst Likes this wine: 94 Points
Lean and mellow with resolved tannin; smooth texture; light cherry and blackberry; elegant finish.
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2/24/2024 - paulst Likes this wine: 92 Points
Light and lean; elegant and soft; fully resolved; mellow finish.
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7/2/2023 - Venice Al Likes this wine:
Decanted 2 hours before I touched it and therefore, with a group, only one chance to sample. Nice dark cherry and brambly fruit, eucalyptus, chocolate, and spicy nose and palate. Full bodied. A baby Martha’s from a great vintage- but with a ton of room and time to develop to higher highs! More old (and even older) Martha’s please.
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7/1/2023 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted 2 hours before trying it. Even then, it still showed a bit too young. So happy to see some Napa classics that did not get Parkerized by the late 1990s. Because of its youth, all of the best of what Martha's has to offer were still a bit hidden. I will definitely be looking forward to revisiting this wine in 5 and 10 more years as there is definitive upside remaining.
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12/17/2022 - robertek wrote: 94 Points
This is still showing young and the only one guesses went to the US in the blind tasting. It will improve further so no hurry to drink.
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8/20/2022 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 94 Points
not blind
Beautifully young, fruit driven, not too much coke and eucalyptus. More to come. 94+
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6/7/2022 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Wine Workshop: Heitz Martha's Vineyard (The Dutch): One of the best producers for '97 and a place that created a wine that doesn't seem to fall prey to the one dimensional fruit style that so many others do. There's definitely a darker boysenberry flavor here but also that mint and eucalyptus and just generally a great freshness to it. It's not my favorite year for Napa but I'd always be happy with this wine. Even more impressive since it's just a few years on the new rootstock after the phylloxera issues in '93.
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2/19/2022 - Herb K wrote:
Still miraculously drinking young and mellowed out 25-years later.
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2/5/2022 - G_H wrote: 96 Points
Extremely young and fruit forward, this is a sexy sexy wine. From young vines, this delivers and will keep for another three decades.
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10/3/2021 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 94 Points
A bit tightly wound and primary, not yet showing the signature Heitz MV hallmarks one would expect from an older vintage. Drinking nicely today with some air, or else ideally give this a few more years to develop further.
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9/30/2021 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Also off the list at Fore Street in Portland. I'll admit I'm usually a bit skeptical of the '97 vintage which I think might just be a bit on the too big side but Heitz is a producer I trust and this was just rocking. Some of that eucalyptus or almost mint-like character in addition to the dark fruits. Still very young and I imagine could go for many years, but this was wonderful even now with a good decant.
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7/30/2021 - Mario17 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Gorgeous and delicious, such grace and power with tons left in the tank for many years to come. Very Cali Cab like texture in the palate for me. 93-94
Quel beau vin avec une jolie texture de Cab Californien de haut niveau pour moi. Superbe et beaucoup d’années devant lui.
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7/30/2021 - Hanibal Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow...this in a great place now likely peaking but has many years on its plateau. Delicious stuff
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5/8/2021 - Wine MOB Likes this wine: 95 Points
Truly an amazing wine. The elegance and finesse are striking for Napa Cab, almost feminine. Good concentration, lively acids keep this wine fresh. Violets, mushroom, plums, graphite, red currents. Really can’t wait to have it again!
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1/27/2021 - pkouchu wrote: 94 Points
leather, black cherry, tobacco, anise, mint, forest floor, clove, bramble, eucalyptus, and cedar
matured fruit, aromatic spices and earth undertones. nice spot for drinking, but provenance is everything. I've had bottles that don't taste quite the same or are much more dull when not direct from winery. Fortunate this one was.
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10/27/2020 - Jshaughn Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautiful wine that is just barely beginning to show tertiary (oxidative) notes. The fruit is still extremely well intact. Acid is still bright and fresh as well. The tannins have softened quite a bit but are still plenty hearty to match with my ribeye. If not for the fact the finish felt a bit too short this wine would damn near be perfect. Drink now or by 2023
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4/10/2020 - JR1575 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Needs a long decant but very herbaceous and complex. Three hours later and flavor is still changing and fruit emerging. Delicious and a long way to go
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2/1/2020 - smcilhen Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pnp. Graphite and mint. Relatively young with some solid tannins still remaining. Probably 1-2 years away from peak but great to have now
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11/9/2018 - Winedad53 wrote: 88 Points
A bit dull in color, this wine disappointed after a one-hour decant. Tasted among flights of other contemporaries from Bordeaux and Napa it failed to measure up, dropping off initial wave of cocoa and blueberry to a flat mid palate before fading to an earthy finish of oregano, herb and eucalyptus. Not a bad wine by any means, but not holding together all that well and probably 2 years past its peak.
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5/11/2018 - Bacchus&Ceres Likes this wine: 95 Points
Bright, shiny, crystalline transparent garnet of homogeneous color and beauty, nose clean, fresh, violet floral notes initially that transform into fruity metallics later, tears of fast moving medium viscosity, streaming, mouth of fresh plum and cassis, quiet and subtle spice, tannins and American oak notes of honeyed toasted bark, clean bright refreshing finish, medium + body, terrific balance in acidic and quiet tannin hint of cleansing bitters, nothing gripping yet structurally sound. A beautiful wine thoroughly enjoyable on its own. An honorable testament to Joe Heitz. Well done. Will compare tonight in a vertical against the 1998 Martha's Vineyard...We love this wine! Peaking now drink up in the year ahead.
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4/9/2018 - Chris Forno Likes this wine: 97 Points
Consumed at the French Laundry for my 50th birthday and decanted for 30 minutes prior to serving. This was the worst day (AARP card) and also one of the best days of my life (wine and restaurant).
Probably the greatest wine that I ever had the pleasure to drink. Mid-weight yet it possesses amazing structure, not contributing to a sense of mass but rather to its overall proportion and symmetry. There is beautiful fruit here and also secondary flavors which together create a complete whole. Pointing out “fruit” and “secondary flavors” not as separate components but rather as two different descriptors which were part of a continuum of flavor.
This wine can easily go another 10 years but it currently wants for nothing so why wait?
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12/26/2017 - no leashes wrote: 93 Points
Delicious classic Heitz MV.
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12/19/2017 - jeginmt Likes this wine: 97 Points
This wine has matured into one of best Cabs I have tasted in the last 30 years. If you have a bottle drink it. If you can find a bottle buy it. Yes it’s that good. Dark, rich fruit, full bodied, mellow tannins, long finish. Top of the line in all respects. Alas this was my last bottle.
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12/8/2017 - vcc wrote: 99 Points
Without words - almost perfect and still many years to go.
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11/26/2017 - winelover1808 wrote: 93 Points
this totally held up well - popped, decanted quickly and drank. terrific juice that had aged well - more secondary characteristics now but really excellent.
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11/4/2017 - BuffaloBandit wrote: 90 Points
Holding up very well. Decanted and let breath for 90 minutes. Initial assessment was that it was going to be a bit funky, with overripe fruit/raisins coming through quite strongly. After some air those notes blew off and a very mellow, smooth delight waited in the glass. Good dark fruits and balanced acidity were my primary recollections.
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10/21/2017 - sdr Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very nice, very mature California Cabernet. True to its origin, there’s a distinct note of eucalyptus on both nose and palate. Fairly straightforward blueberry and blackberry fruit flavor and the mid-palate is slightly weak. No perceptible tannin, so the mouth feel is soft and smooth, maybe too much. A tasty drink to be sure but not memorable.
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8/13/2017 - jeginmt Likes this wine: 95 Points
I agree with the previous tastings notes others have posted for this wine. Still holding up very nicely in summer 2017. Cork still solid. No bricking. Minimal sediment. Excellent in all respects. Best to drink soon while it is at this level.
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8/5/2017 - JJB007 Likes this wine: 95 Points
excellent
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2/2/2017 - soneill104 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wonderful wine that just got better as the evening progressed. Still had years left in it.
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11/16/2016 - walkerjfw wrote: 95 Points
Taste of Oakville (Carnegie Hall, New York City): After drinking the 09/10 next to each other, the hosts were generous enough to share some of the 97.
This is one of the landmark vintages (I believe Joe Heitz last vintage?) Dark red cherry, currant, baking spices, floral notes and the trademark eucalyptus and mint on the palate. Medium weight, silky mouth feel, tannins resolved. Still youthful even at this point but drinking very well. Gorgeous wine that has at least another 10years in it...one of the highlights of the evening for me.
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4/2/2016 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 90 Points
Old Heitz Martha's v. Old Ridge Monte Bello (NoMad): Medium nose, red and black cherry, currant, becomes more expressive with time. Both more powerful and with better development than the '97 Ridge Monte Bello. Expansive and dense on the palate, loads of fruit. In a good place for drinking now.
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2/13/2016 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for 1-1/2 hrs. Christine BRUCE(HILLIARD BRUCE) said it was the best Cab she's had in the last year. Classic mint and eucalyptus notes, and well balanced with an extended finish. Surprisingly no sediment.
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1/26/2016 - vinojones wrote: 95 Points
9 hrs after decanting( after a tasting(actually got better)
Dark ruby red; nose is a blend of mint and cabernet, (later tasting less mint); full body with no hint of age, red berry flavors follow right on the sweet fruit nose; seamless finish of the whole wine with 45+ sec finish. Score might be too low.
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9/23/2015 - Jeff Leve wrote: 91 Points
What this lack for in concentration, it more than makes up for with its tell-tale mint, menthol and eucalyptus scents that enhance the fresh ripe cherries. The wine is soft, smooth and drinking in prime time today.
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8/21/2015 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tasted alongside the '84 and '09 - over breakfast at Martha's Vineyard hosted by the May family. Loved hearing Tom May's great stories about their early days going into business with the Heitz family - as we drank wine from this commemorative bottle honoring the late Joe Heitz. This '97 was also delicious, but slightly preferred the '84. Similar notes of dark cherry and eucalyptus flavors - although slightly less mature and resolved than the '84. Still a stand out on its own.
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5/2/2015 - Furmint Likes this wine: 93 Points
This was one of the larger and plusher Martha's of the night. It had much less complexity on the nose than any of the 80s or 70s bottles with aromas of cherry, plum, cedar, mocha and earth spice but very little signature Marthas mint.
Waves of red and blue fruit on the palate with some nice fine tannins and mocha flavors as a nice backdrop to the fruit and nicely developing secondary notes of cedar and tobacco a bit of mint and sage.
This is a hedonistic//riper Martha's but we agreed this won't age gracefully for 40 years like the 76 we drank in the flight due to its ripe nature, less structure, and less acid. I plan to drink my half case up over the next decade but save one for the 2030s to see if that is right!
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3/30/2015 - GPMJ Likes this wine: 94 Points
Finished on 3-29-15.
I do not think I drank it before today.
..
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2/28/2015 - texag96 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very musty upon opening, originally thought it might be corked. Decanted for over an hour and let rest and glad I did. Turned out to be a great wine with lots of life left. I can't imagine this improving any further with age, but likely will drink well for another 5 - 7 years.
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2/4/2015 - Pvinbrock Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great aged wine, drinking perfectly right now.
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12/26/2014 - ipp Likes this wine: 94 Points
wonderfully aged. elegant.
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12/24/2014 - rosey Likes this wine:
Wonderful full of fruit soft
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11/22/2014 - mwanasheria Likes this wine: 94 Points
California treasures in an unexpected place (Fulda): Loads of cassis, milk chocolate, silky tannins and so mouth-filling and long.
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10/17/2014 - lolo66 wrote: 94 Points
NY Wine Experience 2014 (Marriot Marquis): This was fantastic. Drank this along the Bordeauxs and it fit right in. Slightly richer and fuller. some cigar, currants. boysenberry. all entwined nicely in an earthy seamless package.
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10/16/2014 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 95 Points
2014 New York Wine Experience Trip; 10/14/2014-10/21/2014 (New York City, NY): From a pristinely-cellared bottle (provided by the winery), this showing demonstrates that there were many who misjudged it early on. At present, it is nothing short of sensational. Now fully mature, it packs plenty of black fruit in a freshly acidic frame, with seamless alcohol and soft residual tannins. The fruit is supported by anise, pipe tobacco and sage, with only a pleasant hint of eucalyptus. With great persistence in the middle, it closes with a long, smooth finish. Disbelievers who misjudged this wine in the past should taste it now (from a well-cellared bottle). Bravo to Heitz for holding a steady course! Drink now-2022.
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10/5/2014 - dacow Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted, but only about an hour. Wonderful nose, extraordinary. Didn't get the eucalyptus that I have in other years, but that doesn't do much for me anyway. Lots of fruit, borderline sweet but not. Medium to full body but really great. Wish I had a cellar full. I didn't want to take my nose out of the glass, wonderful experience.
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9/18/2014 - Wine_lvr wrote: 94 Points
Heitz, Heitz, Heitz and Heitz: c
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9/6/2014 - C1kevinc wrote: 94 Points
Still holding great. Could cellar for a few more years, but why. It's wonderful now.
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5/26/2014 - no leashes wrote: 90 Points
Tasty black fruit, a hint of eucalyptus, and a round, ripe finish. Drinking now.
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3/21/2014 - Richkniles wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful well balanced. Strong fruit well balanced by acids and tannin.
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8/25/2013 - BuffaloBandit Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted for about 3-4 hours and gave it time to open up. Lots of juicy red fruit and cherry cola. Still plenty of youth in this bottle, but drinking quite well right now.
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5/18/2013 - Thirsty1 Likes this wine:
Decanted for an hour before consumption at Bourbon Steak. This bottle has many years ahead of it. Dark purple - not showing any age whatsoever. Bouquet of blackberry, ecalyptus, cedar, and hints of leather. Everything was correctly proportioned. Clear, precise fuit, supporting acidity and relaxed tannins harmoniously complimented each other. Layers and layers of mature fruit unfold over the pallet. The finish as enjoyable as the beginning. Fantastic.
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3/8/2013 - Rezy13 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark core with ruby edge looking very youthful; strong nose of eucalyptus (cliche but this is it), graphite, wet cement, dark fruit, cedar, and hardly noticeable oak; rich, powerful, polished, youthful, with decent acid. This is delicious. Recommend some decanting which really brought out the nose and toned down the oak.
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2/23/2013 - Ornumsi wrote: 95 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:
'97 Probably my favourite of the night! Has several years left in the bottle. Good dark garnet color. Great remaining structure with medium tannins, balanced acidity. Dark berries, green pepper and mint/eucalyptus palate. I recall this having such a lush mouth feel which set it apart from the other vintages.Long finish. Really worked well with the seared fois gras.
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1/28/2013 - agbailey Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine is in a v good place right now. Rich dark fruits, nice texture and great balance. I annoyed it more and more as the night went on. Wish I had more
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1/12/2013 - Ggoddy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tasted and then decanted for about an hour. Opened up nicely. Distinct nose... then fruit... a smooth but unmemorable finish. Didn't leave as much of an impression as the 2001 which I enjoyed earlier in the week... But to be fair, drank the '01 at a fine restaurant with dinner vs having the '97 at home with pizza. An excellent wine non the less.
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11/2/2012 - Wine_lvr Likes this wine: 94 Points
American Belle 1st Edition (Switzerland): Tasted blind: Deep in color. Nose of Kirsch, berry marmelade and roasted coffee. Powerful, balanced yet very elegant though all a bit on the modern side for a Heitz. It is a good wine but it cannot be compated to the pre-Phylloxera Heitz Martha's. Maybe with time it will become a true Martha's... Drink now - 2030
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10/20/2012 - TheDarkPrince wrote: 94 Points
Ecstasy in a glass. Decanted for two hours prior to drinking. 15 years on, this wine is still standing tall. Absolutely no signs of ageing on the nose, or in appearance. The nose expresses lots of barrel toast, along with dark fruits and fig. The palette is very smokey in a nice way, but it does overpower the fruit, somewhat, hence my score. This wine is perfectly delineated. The structure is perfection. We have a Chappellet 1997 to follow this. I wonder which one will take the prize?
:0)
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10/10/2012 - bamhome Likes this wine: 92 Points
It was still in good shape for 15 year old Cali. Cab.
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9/27/2012 - webbaker Likes this wine: 97 Points
Decanted for 5 hours before initial tasting. Even at the time of opening, you could tell this was going to be good, strong cherry aroma. Initial tastings revealed strong cigar box & eucalyptus aromatics, nice red berry and cherry fruit flavors, a bit of dusty tannins. No sign of burnout. Very long finish. A very elegant tasting wine, lots of different flavor components to taste, not a fruit bomb at all. Re-tasted after 24 hour decant, still going strong, the aromatics had dropped off a bit, but the fruits stayed strong. Drinking fabulously well right now, but no sign of being past its prime. I wish I had more.
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9/18/2012 - Breguet wrote: 95 Points
Stunning Wine. Decanted for 3 hours and served with a variety of foods (trailing end of the main course through chocolate). Am on the lookout for more. Amazing nose from the moment it hit the decanter to when it was consumed. Incredible balance.
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1/7/2012 - agbailey Likes this wine:
Wineterfest 2012: Nose of cassis, tobacco, eucalyptus, and maple syrup. Flavors of leather, pomegranite, and some chalkiness. nicely done and the wine is going strong at this point.
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12/1/2011 - no leashes wrote: 92 Points
Delicious black fruit, a hint of eucalyptus, earth and spice flavors, medium to full bodied, long finish. Drinking beautifully right now!
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11/10/2011 - David J Cooper wrote:
Dark red. Coffee, plum and some red fruit in a very tight concentrated nose. Sweet entry and a long dry finish.
When we found out what this was I searched for the menthol, eucalyptus notes in the nose and they weren't there. This seems to be an infant and needs time to shake it out. I will not score it for that reason.
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8/9/2011 - mraabpfg wrote: 90 Points
Very very good. May have lost a little of its punch but still a quality CA cab
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7/26/2011 - OCWino wrote: 88 Points
An elegant, well-aged Napa cab. A bit disappointing given the hoopla over Martha and her vineyard. Medium bodied with a short finish; silky tannins under pleasant berry fruit. Not much complexity and no 'menthol'. For all the hype I have had $20 cabs that had more going on. Bummer. Maybe the next one will shine.
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6/10/2011 - kmforster wrote:
Should have held this longer, or at least decanted earlier in the evening...started to get good as we were finishing up the last of it!
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6/7/2011 - pc2006mg wrote: 96 Points
Absolutely incredible wine with amazing nose and beatiful Bordeaux like layers. The finish just seems to go on and on with this. This is my last bottle and one that i won't soon forget!!!
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6/5/2011 - jeff nowak wrote: 91 Points
elzer cancer society charity dinner. ok, nice wine, but i just didn't understand the gushing, almost slobbering love by so many others plastered all over their glass of this. but then, when do i ever? i will say that it showed maturity of fruit and tannin in a nice mixture/balance. better when studied rather than casually consumed. very mild menthol/eucalyptus, at least i think. maybe i was subliminally being controlled by the peeps.
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11/27/2010 - G_H Likes this wine: 93 Points
Heitz and deer (Heitz und Hirsch mit René Gabriel) (Restaurant Sempacherhof): 92-94 Rating; Pineapple, Tar, Christmas Tree, modern but good!
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5/13/2010 - eschuldt wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 1 hour. Drinking nicely, not as prominent euculyptus as other Martha's I've had. Eathy nose.
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5/3/2010 - johnwine wrote: 94 Points
This is one of the most elegant examples of what a California Cab should be. The wine is flawless and totally integrated in all of its elements. One would think it was an exquite Bordeaux.
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11/10/2009 - vanpe003 wrote: 94 Points
No dtld notes (last night in Dubai at Royal Mirage). Drinking very well now, with some maturity while still retaining a youthful richness of fruit.
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10/26/2009 - dbkitc wrote: 92 Points
Light garnet. Distinctive nose - Crème de cassis infused with pine branches. Integrated with good length and finish. Got better and better with air. I like this wine. (92)
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9/8/2009 - dea wrote:
tasted with 97 Dominus. Not as deep but balanced and harmonious. Pleasure to drink
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9/6/2009 - BuffaloBandit wrote: 90 Points
We gave this about 3 hours to breath, but it opened up considerably more as we drank it. Very spicy at first, lots of oak, but mellowed to reveal good fruit. Still has plenty of acidity and I think this will keep improving for a number of years. Next time, I'd give it at least 4 hours in the decanter before pouring it. Definitely an excellent wine.
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5/12/2009 - Rupert wrote: 91 Points
Heitz Martha's Vineyard vertical 1970 to 1999 (IOD, London): Smelled leaner than the '99, certainly less forceful on the nose, cassis and mint again, spicy, long fine finish
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3/3/2009 - Double D wrote: 92 Points
Aging nicely but ready to drink....bordeaux like.
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1/17/2009 - A&C wrote: 94 Points
Wow. What an incredible surprise. Based on earlier reviews, my expectations were low. This was unbelievably great. Wonderful Bordeaux-like nose, with a rich depth and great fruit. On the palate, this was complex, with great underlying fruit, a richness, and yes, even some of the mint thing. This really was in its perfect drinkability window, and compared very well to a French Bordeaux. It was quite a wonderful surprise.
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11/16/2008 - ricknat1 wrote: 93 Points
Multi layered, fruit forward, complex and completely delicious. Drinking very well right now, but I think it will drink well for another 5 years or so
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5/12/2008 - pablopilot wrote: 90 Points
This wine seems to be tailing off. The fruit is stil there, but more subdued. THe oak is still there, and tastes more piney.
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5/3/2008 - AllRed wrote: 95 Points
PUC Elementary Fundraiser Dinner (Neal Family Vineyards): Garnet color, bricking toward the rim. Aromas of mint, dark fruit, plum and eucalyptus. Absolutely gorgeous on the palate. Seamless...perfectly integrated. A mix of red and dark fruit flavors, with a savory herbal undertone that lingers on the finish. Based on this bottle, I'd say this wine has plenty of life left. Thanks to Alder, one of our table mates, for getting a winning bid on this beauty. 94-96 pts.
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1/25/2008 - idrinkvino wrote: 91 Points
Aged ruby with slight bricking. Past it's prime? Possibly as the fine grained tannins seem to dominate. Still a fine wine with light oak, finely sugared plum and cigar boxed flavours.
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11/27/2007 - Grinner wrote: 92 Points
Blinded out of 25, it did not reveal the mint thing and so got missed by everyone. But it was still a nice wine w/ black and blue berry fruit of good depth and a hint of spice. Very decent length and it held up on day .2
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11/17/2007 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 92 Points
At Pastis, Coral Gables w Danny Spring & Jean-Marc, and Rich Findler. Rich's wine. It arrived unopened at 72F. I had Florence open it, and put it next to my insulated ice-pak to cool it for 1/2 hour. It followed the 2000 Les Cailloux Centenaiire. Far superior to the Centenaire. Drinking beautifully now, but as others suggest the classic eucalyptus/mint character is absent. Having tasted the 74 recently, I will let my bottle sleep for a decade at least, or give it to my grandson, Joshua. Not a good QPR.
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11/1/2007 - KellyW wrote: 94 Points
Drank with GJE. Lovely evolved fruit. Balanced and elegant with a long finish.
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9/14/2007 - Burgundy Al wrote: 90 Points
Ripe black fruit on nose without much else. Some mint accompanied the black cherry and plum flavors on palate, with good balance but without anything really outstanding.
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9/14/2007 - winefool wrote: 93 Points
Klingenstein Dinner w/Stephan Blicker (Custom House): Opaque black/red color. Lovely clean black fruit nose, but only a hint of the telltale Marth's mint. Full tight black fruit with hints of mint carrying through to the palate. Very nice.
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8/18/2007 - Double D wrote: 93 Points
Excellent balance, very rich, sweet fruit yet some of the tannins are still hanging in providing a dry finish. I would drink this as a standalone...much too much going on to have it complete with food and not as acidic as many other cabs.
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4/19/2007 - buckeye76 wrote: 91 Points
BLACK CHERRIES AND MINT IN THE NOSE WITH BLACK CHERRIES AND BLACKBERRIES IN THE FLAVOR. MEDIUM TO LONG FINISH.
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1/31/2007 - no leashes wrote: 91 Points
Agree with Psmith below. Classic mint/eucalyptus somewhat restrained. Soft texture, well balanced, good length. Sweet black fruit. Very nice bottle, will improve. (Celebrating last day of work!)
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12/3/2005 - psmith wrote:
Pure black cherry, some MV eucalyptus, classic green notes and dark, toasted wood. A medium-bodied, nicely restrained, classic Napa cabernet. Medium-grain tannin and good balance, weight, and length. This will only get better. ***+/5
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9/3/2005 - mraabpfg wrote: 91 Points
Enjoyed the last bottle at Ivans on the Bay who by the way have a very nice wine selection. Group of 4 dinners enjoyed the wine, many comments were that it was soft and had nice even berry flavors though finish. Was a little shallow but that may have been due to not letting it breath prior to enjoying it, was a very very nice wine but not a knock your socks off experience. Next bottle I have I will decant and see what happens.
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1/8/2005 - Hillel wrote: 90 Points
Opened at Lampreia. A little bit tight… opened up slightly, had some complexity. Needs a bunch more time.
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1/8/2005 - Eric wrote:
Dinner at Lampreia (Seattle, WA, USA): Served blind. Clearly this was Napa. The initial aromatic impression was sweet with powdered sugar, mint, some oak spice, eventually showing a lot more oaky-caramel with time in the glass. On the palate this was ripe and pleasing with nice weight, very plummy.
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11/22/2003 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 94 Points
Musky cabernet sauvignon nose. Still the lightness that seems to be a characteristic of Heitz on today's tasting. Huge structure. Excellent. Really noticeably superior to the other Heitz wines on show today.
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