This had the hallmark Martha notes, was dense and long and just a pleasure to drink.
Having been lucky enough to taste the 1975 twice lately, it starts becoming quite clear, that the 1975 has now overtaken the 1974 and still has a lot more life ahead of it, whereas I would drink up the 1974 bottles slowly (if you have any and can afford not to sell them).
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Tobacco, blackberry, cassis, mint leaf, cigar box, spice, spearmint, and earthy notes open to a fully mature, soft, supple, round wine with elegant tannins. There is a lot of intensity, richness, and balance in this sublime example of a fully mature California Cabernet Sauvignon that will not get better with further aging. Drink from 2023-2029.
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Crystalline redcurrant fruit, clear and fine, building over time with impeccable length. Sandalwood, eucalyptus, positively exploding with flavor over time.
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California Wine Weekend; 12/1/2023-12/3/2023 (Mos Eisley Cantina & Waterhouse Restaurant): Nose: Intense eucalyptus, mint, herbs and anise rise to the top, with crystaline red raspberry, blackberry and tart cherry notes. Fruit grows in focus as this opens, and leather, cedar and nori notes develop. Palate: incredible freshness that defies the age, blackberry, dark raspberry, eucalyptus, mint and cocoa and cedar. Spherical in the mouth with graphite and cassis in the mid palate that show the terroir of this vineyard. Finish: Long and focused inner mouth perfume of black fruit and mint.
This started in the decanter quite clenched showing a large amount of eucalyptus and dark fruit, but the detail took a few hours to fully come out. When revisited at the end of dinner this was even better as the focus kept growing.
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I opened 2 bottles for my party and they both showed a very deep red center with a touch of orange at the rim. The high- intensity nose offered up peppermint patties, plums, soil, and some black spices. The second bottle was less minty, less intense, but equally interesting.
In the mouth, this wine was ripe and rich with rounded tannin, firm acidity, and fantastic length. The second bottle was similar but perhaps just slightly more integrated.
This wine is doing great and ready to consume. One of the bottles was a 96 and the other a 97. It will certainly last 10 years. However, toward the end of the night, the alcohol started sticking out a little bit which suggests drinking sooner rather than later.
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I've tried many vintages of Heitz Martha's Vineyard from the 70s and 80s, but this was my first time with the iconic 74, and it lived up to the hype. A singular wine, with tons of signature eucalyptus aromatics, rich and ripe fruit, silky and fully mature, but with no signs of slowing down. What a memorable wine, just fantastic.
Wine Workshop: Heitz Martha's Vineyard (The Dutch): Pretty sure this will be the longest lived wine of the tasting. There's so much good structure here and yet it just comes across as a bit young (I know - crazy to say for a 48 year old wine). Nice acid. Good fruit. Developing and needs some more time. Heard there was a bottle of this the previous week that bowled everyone over. This didn't have that power, but maybe with a bit more time?
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Legends only: 15 Bordeaux & 2 Heitz MV Magnums: Magnum face-off Heitz MV 1969 vs 1974. Both wines double decanted 3-4 hours prior to consumption. Two Napa Valley legends side by side is a big privilege to drink and both bottles showed incredibly good. The 1974 (rated 99 pts) is close to perfection thanks to unbelievable complexity, perfect delineation and the most wonderful structure. I’m sure that this would have been a triple digit score if I could have followed the wine over a few hours. The 1969 (rated 95+ pts) is dominated by the strong mint/eucalyptus component from the nose to the finish. Still, the wine isn’t monolithic on the palate but not as complex as the 1974 either. The structural frame is impeccable. Some points deducted as there are some unwanted cellar stink aromas in the background.
TN: Expressive nose with some reductive notes, smoke, superb fresh dark fruit and of course mint and eucalyptus notes. Compared to the 1969 in the next glass, this shows much more layered on the nose (the 1969 is mint only). Super clean, and impressive precision. A superb nose but not perfect. On the palate this is incredible, so dense and young, so layered and all aromas with absolute precision. Much more complex than the 1969 with a rainbow of fresh and jammy red, dark red, dark berries. Good minerality lending the wine freshness, together with lots of nutty notes, lots of minty notes (but not as dominating as with the 69), lots of herbs, a bit of malt. Just absolute greatness and perfect. Wow, this is the best Napa Cap I ever had. Incredible.
This wine has, in past years, been probably my number one favorite wine of all time. Sadly those days are over/numbered, at least as far as this particular bottle was concerned. The cork was in excellent condition, clean and in great shape, while the fill was at nearly the original level. The wine was stored in impeccable conditions almost since I received it and was my last bottle from a case purchased pre-release directly from the winery. On the palate it was tired and fading but by no means "turned" or "spoiled" (we managed to drink the entire bottle without any complaints, lol). There was a certain amount of unami poking through along with a little fruit and one taster remarked that he found the acids a little sharper than a bottle he remembered drinking 7-9 years ago.
We tasted it alongside a 1983 Cantemerle (also well stored since release) and it was the "better" wine by several notches showing a little more focus and freshness than the Bordeaux.
It was sad to part with this wine but it was time (past time).
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From a friend's cellar. The wine was decanted with the steak on the grill as we enjoyed a steady show of ruby-throated hummingbirds at his feeders on the porch. From the first pour the nose was remarkable. The wine unfurled over the next half hour and was a perfect example of the unique MV character. However a glass saved for later showed a loss of aromatics on the nose and was a little dull on the palate in comparison to how it started out. Still an awesome experience that I never imagined would come my way.
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1974 HEITZ MARTHA’S VINEYARD is properly spoken of as a legendary Californian wine. This expands over the first 20 minutes to show a hugely intense nose of menthol, eucalyptus, balsam, and sandalwood, dominating the cassis, chestnut, leather notes that seem to accent the exotic wood character, rather than the other way around. This is supple in the mouth owing to the resolved tannins and has a beautifully exotic, persistent finish. An utterly distinctive, singular wine.
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Nose: huge voluminous nose of spearmint, eucalyptus and medicinal herbs that just takeover the glass. Massively aromatic. Palate: incredible softness with deep blackberry fruit that again is pushed to the back by mint and eucalyptus. Finish: long and penetrating with chestnut and spearmint
One of the most singular California cabs that I have ever had, and a wine deserving of its legend status. Unique in every way.
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Achim's Magnum Tasting 2017 (Berens am Kai 1 star Restaurant): In der Nase zu Beginn sehr ähnlich wie der Mayacamas. Danach kommen die Coca-Cola und der Eukalyptus durch, aber nicht so extrem wie die letzten Male. Mich erinnert er heute von der Stilistik mehr an einen Bordeaux. Auf dem Höhepunkt und kann sicherlich noch einige Jahrzehnte überleben. Achim meinte, früher galt er als kleiner Bruder des 45er Moutons. Jetzt muß man überlegen, wer nun der kleine Bruder von wem ist..? 100
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Eucalyptus in the purest sense, this smelled so good I forgot to taste it at first. Somehow still so fresh and minty, developing an almost garrigue-like herbal sense after a while. Palate is broad, deep, and effortlessly powerful with plenty of fruit to support all the Vick's Vapo-rub. Unreal, and a singular experience, I've never had anything quite like this. From a single owner bottle purchased at the winery.
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Incredible showing for this legend. Alive, vibrant, intact, thrilling. Drinking it was like one of those Maxell commercials from the 80's, where the guy is hanging on to his seat with the experience blowing his hair and tie back, it's that intense. There are insane levels of mint and yes, eucalyptus on the nose and palate, to go with sensational fruit and acids. Smelling it actually clears the sinuses. Incredible color still, somehow it is uber minty, almost medicinal, and yet is delicious and tastes like cabernet. The mouthfeel is refined and integrated now and the tannins resolved, but this gives the impression that it could keep forever. A thrilling and exceptional experience. From a bottle purchased in 1979 and only somewhat well treated, according to its generous owner. I'd go even higher on my score if there was just a bit more complexity, but other than that, this a perfect and unique wine. 96-97 pts.
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Amazing and humbling in a flight of Screaming Eagle, Harlan and Mouton. This is clearly and icon wine that has many year left but I think is just right to drink now.
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Drank it together with my friend Thomas: Great Performance At his Peak. the nose is Coca-Cola meets eucalyptus Drops but the palate is a fine clack currant taste with spicy and ethereal notes. it gets fresher and fresher every Minute. drank the bottle over 2 hours sharing only with one Person. Phenomenal. Opened two mhours before without decanting. FRom regular bottle at his Peak.100 Thanks Thomas for bringing this gem
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Heitz Martha's vertical 74-77 with an absolutely CURSED line up of chardonnay. (Major Domo): I am surprised how long it took this wine to really start to show. Double decanted at 4:30pm and it wasn't until about 8:30pm when the wine really knit together for the last quarter of the bottle. The nose is a beautiful perfume of JUST the right amount of mint, dried red cherries and savory earth. It's an effortless wine, the fruit and medicinal herb just glides on the palate. Wine is fully resolved and elegant on the finish. I keep coming back to how seamless the wine is, just imagine delicate waves of flavor lapping at your tongue.
I wish there was a little more OOMPH on the wine to really push it up a notch, but it's hard to really have complaints on a wine that is pretty much effortless in its ability to please.
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Balanced wine with eucalyptus, coffee and soil. Bell pepper notes on the side palate. While this bottle was hanging in there well, it had clearly peaked. 94-
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1974 California Tasting (Cafe Boulud): Others liked this much better than I did and admittedly my palate was "overstretched" at this point of the evening. I found the wine to be a bit madeirized and past its prime. The wine has a brooding complexity with mushroom notes. 1974 Cali Cab tasting
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Beautiful wine. Tasted blind alongside five left bank Bordeaux from 1961. The Martha's was easily distinguishable but equally as interesting as the Bordeaux. Garnet color and beautifully resonating with eucalyptus, minty herb, licorice, and floral notes. Silky smooth across the palate with a small amount of heat on the back. 40 sec finish was pleasant with a unique, almost medicinal characteristic. Tannins have faded and I would say this needs to be drunk now or within the next few years.
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Just a beautiful wine, with its unique, herb, mint, eucalyptus, cherry pipe tobacco and earthy profile. At 45 years of age, this was just showing great.
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The legend, I was not that stingy at last time, for me first thought californian, than Bordeaux and the first zip makes it clear: Coca-Cola, mints and eucalyptus, still young, this time 100
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From a perfectly stored bottle. Absolutely gorgeous nose of the telltale eucalyptus/crushed mint. Cloudy red color. Gained in intensity throughout the evening. Tremendous showing from a very special bottle of wine.
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Much better than the previous bottle, tasted a few months ago. This showed a sweet, dark, red fruit profile, with a smoky, tobacco, herb and bright cherry character, and a nice balancing act between refined rusticity and elegance. This is not a wine for further aging.
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This wine was very cloudy , port like taste , well paired with cheese course . Would prefer more Calli Cab and less Port. For a 40+ year old bottle of California Cab wine it is holding up well .
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Richter Raritäten Degustation Volume IV - Magnum Edition (all wine out of Magnum): Together with the 1929 it was the WOTN for me. From another planet, but equally amazing. This wine was firing on all cylinders. Eucalyptus, Petrol, Werther's cassis candy, infinitely long aftertaste and with an otherworldly power this is rightly a california legend and the greatest american wine that I have ever tasted. Kudos!
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I find I am more often disappointed than thrilled with this legendary these days. Hey, it's about to hit its 40th birthday. Nothing lasts forever. The nose is a ringer for a Left Bank Bordeaux, with its leafy tobacco, red berry , earthy, kirsch laden charm. Medium/full bodied, elegant, soft and with a sweet red fruit and just a hint of tart cherry in the finish. If you are sitting on a bottle, pop a cork. If you are thinking of buying it, personally, I do not think it is worth the money.
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Old Heitz Martha's v. Old Ridge Monte Bello (NoMad): Rusty garnet in the glass with a cloudy core. Unique bouquet. Definitely tertiary but still beautiful and highly expressive. The eucalyptus is nearly overwhelming. Fresh. Creamy coffee, Chai teas, mild spices, herbal, and somewhat medicinal. Nearly Burgundian in aromatic complexity and on the palate as well. A unique and spectacular drinking experience.
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The legend! A bucket for me…..PnP…drank over 4hrs….Holy Sh@$@@$!….I can't believe how dark and youthful this wine is!!! The cork smelled SO good…I knew God had joined us…….Dark saturated berries…currants, blackberries, cherries…dried and savory…..unbelievable nose and mouthful of dried herbs…bay leaf, euc, mint….cigar wrapper, creme de cassis, pencil lead…..aged nuttiness, 100year old oozing balsamic barrels…..SO silky smooth, layer after layer of the perfect aged cab flavors….thought maybe after hour 2 it was starting to fall apart…but then it sprang back to life in amazing fashion…..we had a great bottle, and a life altering experience!
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off odors that made me think it was a bad bottle, but wine acceptable with fair finish. 1 hour and 20 minutes later the wine was good with odors gone. sealed and second half the next day. same initial off odors, then improvement. medium body, tannins, finish. will not get better.
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Dark reddish garnet in color with slight bricking at the edges. Full, forward, attractive & complex nose of mature & well developed nose of ripe fruit aromas of dark dried cherries, black plums & currents with the classic "Martha's" overtones of eucalyptus/mint with cigar box notes of cedar & tobacco, some floral notes, earthy, dusty, black tea leaf, dark cocoa, smoky, leather, herbs, spice notes of allspice & sage & minerals. Medium-full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced, silky smooth & elegant textured, complex, mature & developed ripe fruit flavors of sweet cherries, dark plums & tart cranberries with earthy/dusty, distinct mintiness, dried herbs, spices and minerals. Long lingering smooth finish. Drinks quite well at present but has the structure to continue with its current plateau of 41 years of maturity for a several more years if cellared properly although any further development would be nominal. Fill was good (at bottom of neck) although the cork crumbled upon opening. One of the best & most age-worthy California Cabernets I have enjoyed!
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Now, here's a wine I never thought I'd see again. The wine was showing beautifully. This bottle was clearly enjoyed perfect storage, because the earth, mint, smoke, tobacco, cherry and cigar box aromas were intoxicating. Fully mature, the earthy, cherry filled finish kept on going.
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Has charcoal, ash, prune nose. Great palate - subtle but complex. Golden raisins, toffee, charred Brussels sprouts. I could drink this all day but I wouldn't NEED to because the finish lasts forever.
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Wonderfully evolved, showing sweet fruit, chocolate, spices, tobacco, mint and forest notes on the nose. Surprisingly lively and fresh on the palate, well balanced, no noticeable tannins, but still great structure, a little tired maybe towards the long and persistent finish. A wonderful bottle! Drink up. 94-96
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We had this along with a 1974 Gaja Barbaresco. Unmistakable Martha's eucalyptus notes, dried cranberry and cedar. Chalky texture and a surprising long finish. Truly one of a kind.
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We had the pleasure of flighting two great 74's together - Heitz Martha's and Diamond Creek Volcanic Hill. What a pairing. Both were in perfect shape. Initially, I preferred the Diamond Creek, as its perfect provenance (one owner) shined through. As the wines developed though, the Heitz just took it to another level. Staggering wines, and a flight any wine lover would appreciate.
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Tobacco, blackberry, cassis, mint leaf, cigar box, spice and earthy notes open to a fully mature, soft, supple, round wine with elegant tannins. There is a lot of intensity, richness and balance in this sublime example of fully mature California Cabernet Sauvignon. Tasted blind, I was shocked to find this was close to 40 years old! This bottle was better than the last bottle I tasted. But they pale next to how this wine tasted a few years ago.
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Cloudy, faded color. Crazy, intense nose of thick eucalyptus with coffee and cassis. Smoky, round, lush and long on the palate with a crazy amount of complex flavors on the staggering finish. The wine just builds and builds in the mouth delivering one of the most satisfying finishes I've ever encountered. To me, almost port-like similar to the '47 Cheval Blanc of which this wine is reminiscent and definitely in the same league. That liquid eucapytus taste lingers on the palate. Quite mature and really showing up to it's reputation tonight. Wow! (Rarities at 11 Madison)
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Notes from 1997: Unforgettable chocolate and menthol nose. Seamless tobacco tannin structure met by soft currant undertones. Should age for decades. Best red that I can remember.
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As one of our crew said, this is iconic. Having said that, this amazingly youthful,n spirited wine that sprang out of the bottle fresh with alcohol and tannin, was not the wine it was a few years ago, and certainly not what it was in the 1990s. But of course 40 years and an excellent showing make this one of very few. Smokey scents, dark cherry and currant, and later mint accompanied the eucalyptus and soft vehicle on the tongue.
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Smoke and amazing intensity on the nose - wow! The palate is pure and saturated, ripe red fruit dominate with super complexity. This is a happy wine, clean, clear and sweet. From a rare magnum, quite a treat.
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popped , decanted for 5mins nice lite red color nose very alcohol and secondary.....over next few hours mellowed and sweetened up a bit .......i have very few opportunities to drink close to 40 year old wine , this was very nice all around real gem
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We were very nervous when we opened this. It seemed thin, acidic, and the signature eucalyptus note was almost undetectable. But we said to ourselves, how many bottles of old bordeaux have we had that were like this upon opening? So into the decanter it went, and two hours later, it started to sing. This particular bottle was clearly past its prime, but it was still delectable. Great nose and persistence. I imagine 10 years ago this was insane. Still tasty especially to those who love this particular wine, as we do.
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This bottle was acquired a few years ago from a collector who had purchased upon release from the winery. Mid-shoulder fill. Corroded capsule easily removed to reveal quite a bit of mold on the cork. Waiter's friend used to extract the cork; however, the cork split and splintered into fragments just as it was freeing from the neck, the majority of which were then removed with tweezers. Due to an amazing amount of sediment, this wine was decanted immediately.
Upon first pour it was quite amazing to see the deep hue of rusty ruby/garnet; remarkably youthful in appearance. In glass, the aromas were initially off-putting and somewhat reminiscent of burnt herbs and vegetal funk. However, after 20-30 minutes in glass the aromatic profile underwent a stunningly beautiful transformation to reveal pronounced notes of earth, cigar butt, aged cedar, and a satisfying expression of the telltale mint/eucalyptus note so many have waxed poetic on over the years. Although not unexpected, in mouth it's still surprising this wine has retained such concentration...medium to medium-plus body most certainly. If the nose had only shown the greatness of this wine the experience would have gratifying enough but the sheer expressiveness and complexity exhibited on the palate pushes one beyond the threshold of mere, written description. Perhaps the best way to elaborate would be to simply mention how clearly this beautiful wine expresses the terrior from which it originates; one is seemingly transported into Martha's Vineyard through vivid expression of loamy earth, tobacco leaf, mild red fruits, mint, and even a faint hint of minerals...all flavors that linger through on the multi-faceted, endless finish. Interestingly enough, the tannins have yet to completely integrate and seem to indicate that conservatively this has at least more years left. An epiphany wine; absolutely mind-boggling and emotionally provocative, the memory of which will be contemplated for many years to come.
This was tasted alongside the 1985 Heitz Martha's Vineyard. Worth noting is both wines shared much more similarities in terms of flavor profile, texture, and finish than differences.
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I've been fortunate to have had this wine a half dozen times. This one was the best of them all. The bottle was base neck fill, double decanted about a hour before dinner. A good bottle like this could go another 5-10 years, but why? Stunning.
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Probably not a correct bottle. Cassis, tobacco and earthy scents were easy to find, However, there was no sensation of mint and hints of musty aromatics were present. Dense cassis flavors made up the finish. Sadly, I’m still waiting to taste an epiphany bottle from this legendary California Cabernet.
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Well-cellared and un-moved for the last 19 years, I feared that this wouldn't survive the shock of a move to a new storage facility - so we opened it on Saturday morning during a break in the carrying of heavy cases, alongside the Bella Oaks '77.
The label had long gone and the cork wasn't in great condition but it teased out cleanly.
I really did expect that this would have fallen apart, but I was utterly wrong. Pouring clear and bright with a broad tawny rim, I was thrilled to see the deep blood-coloured core denoting a good measure of life left yet.
The expansive perfume was mostly composed of the warm spice and eucalyptus elements with just a touch of soft red fruits (certainly not cassis). Very appealing, and without the sous bois elements of some mature Bordeaux.
On the palate it substituted breadth of flavour for length - beautifully composed, and with perfect balancing acidity still in evidence, it persisted for more than a minute and left just a touch of spice behind it.
This is quite a tricky wine to write a note for. It's the oldest and most august California wine I've ever tasted and my expectations were confused - on the one hand, its tremendous reputation and on the other, my lack of faith that it could have lasted this long. My reference points are Bordeaux and as such I'm reminded of Palmer '70 or Ducru Beaucaillou '64. The perfume makes me think of Margaux (but without the violets) - maybe St Julien is about right.
Clearly this is not going to improve (it doesn't really need to!) but neither do I think it's going to collapse soon, either. If I had another, I'd be interested to try again for its 40th birthday. Sadly, I don't.
Afterthought: Who is making California wine like this, now? What I mean is a perfectly crafted, elegant, ageworthy wine. I would estimate the alcohol here at 13%, and I'd struggle to find a Napa Cab at that strength now. I can't remember the last time I tasted a Napa wine I'd wait 40 years for (Mondavi Reserve, maybe?)
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The color was ruby red with a just a bit of orange at the edges. The nose was very expressive with elements of red fruit and mint and eucalyptus. Perhaps the finest wine I have ever tried.
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This wine was surprisingly spry, showing that long-lived wines can come from Napa. This wine smelt of leather, elderberries, mature spice, eucalyptis, and earth. The wine was almost sweet on the palate, with rich molassis surrounded by loam, mint, roasted mushrooms, allspice, and sage. The finish was long, and pleasant. This wine was not overwhelming, nor was it in any way like modern Napa wines. Balance was its best asset. Not exactly Bordeaux either. Hard to characterize, but it was very nice.
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Much different then the last bottle we opened less then 2 years agp. Bought from a source who claimed to be the original owner and wine has been cellared since. The cork was wet about 1/2-3/4 of the way up but there was no evidence of seepage. the cork did crumble some when removed. i would say i got 3/4 of it out before the breakage occured. the color looked what i remembered...amber-like, almost orange when held under light. the nose however was way off. very, very musty...serious earthtones. all 4 drinkers thought the wine jsut didnt stay together. the fruit was dead. however.....i wasnt ready to give up. i tried the wine again 3-4 hrs later and it was a little better. i decided to keep it in the decanter overnight just to see what would happen. surprisingly, i just drank a glass and it was much better. the minty overtones were def present, but the wine still wasnt right. not sure if the fruit just died after 35 yrs or the seal was somehow compromised. i have 2 left, looking forward to trying them soon.
One of the finest California Cabs I have ever tasted. Drank at Redd in Yountville for brothers 34th Birthday. I should have drank it myself in a cave in the hills. It was phenomenol. Still youthful but should be drank very soon. I have one more and won't drink it until his 40th. Herbaceous, slight mint (eucalyptus), dense, chewy, still very dark and brooding. It went too quick but gave us 2 hours of enjoyment...98 points
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I received this wine from my oldest friend Lars of Sonoma, and has been cellared properly since it was created. What a treat. This wine had many years to go in the bottle, at least 10 from my experience. It was all fruit, complex and had hints of chocolate. We shared this with our friends on his 57th birthday.....it doesn't get any better, old friends, and great old wine.
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California Bordeaux Blends (Backstreet Wine Salon - PHX, AZ): Light to medium red core with orange bricking in color. Prune, raisin and cedar with a little heat on the finish. Over the hill & perhaps oxidized. This wine faded within 5 mins in the glass
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1974 is both mine and my wife's year of birth, so we only drink these on big occasions. this night happened to be my birthday. the wine has an amber, orange type color. a little peppery, with hints of chocholate . was actually a little hot at first on the nose. surprised it had that kind of alcohol still after 30+ yrs. triple decanted it b/c the setiment was so fine it was going through the strainer. once it opened up a little, the wine was magnificent. shocking how much fruit is still left in this 33 year old wine. unlike any other california cab i've ever tasted. very glad i have 3 more in mint condition!!!
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The wine leaked a bit several years ago due to improper cellaring. When I uncorked it, the cork was moist and split in half. Sediment was visible. Decanted for 3 hours. The nose was so fruity. Color had just a tinge of brown, which dissipated after awhile. The wine opened up so nicely. Very round and long. Now I wish I had kept it for a few more years!
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james laube Challenge re 1996 Napa Cabs @ DUO, Miami (DUO, S Miami Avenue, Miami, FL): Flight 4, #2. CRAIG's Mystery X Wine!!! THANK YOU CRAIG!!! the WOTN for Brett, Oscar and ME. The only way you could differentiate this Legendary wine from its younger cousins was by the slight variance in color. It was more garnet than the others, but bouquet depth balance, etc were extraodinary for a 34 YEAR OLD Wine. To me it is testament to the fact that the best NAPA Cabs can age as well or better than their foreign counterparts. About 30 years ago we had a dinner party for 4, where I paired the 74 BV Georges Latour, and the 74 Lousi Martini Reserve(Monte Bello), vs 62 Petrus and 66 Palmer. To me and the other male, we both preferred the American's. The girls went for the French. It is perhaps equally noteworthy that jl only gave this wine a recent 87, while RP gave it a 98(13 years ago)! I failed to mention that CESAR, immediately identified this as Martha's Vineyard, citing the unique eaucalyptus notes, although he had no idea of the YEAR! pps- I much prefer this wine to the 100 point 82 Latour with which I welcomed in the Millenium!
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Dinner at Acquarello with Wilf and Garen. Nose was a little muted but began to show the usual eucalyptus notes after about 30 minutes and it became ethereal. I think this bottle was a little past it's prime. Slightly oxidized and a little plummy, but still was a beauty.
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San Francisco MONSTER Offline - 31 Notes, Pictures & Review of the Evening: There's that minty nose I have read so many times about. Sorry to say the downward is just beginning. Palate is so full of flavors. Great mouth feel with a subtle finish that doesn't last quiet as long as I would have liked
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Old California Wines with Francois Audouze (Jack Falstaff Restaurant - San Francisco, California): I got a small taste of this and was very impressed. It had a gigantic nose of mint and eucalyptus plus cigar box. The color was a deep and dark red, still solid out to the edge. The palate showed silky tannins, plus enough ripe fruit and acidity to allow this 30+ year old to masquarade as a youngster. Had I tried this blind, I would have guessed it was from 1990 or 1991. It is a tremendous wine which I feel honored to have tasted. I did a bit of research later and found that this is a legendary wine and that my small (less than an ounce) taste was worth about $30. I don't know who brought this to the tasting, but whoever you were, may the angels smile upon you!
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I bought this wine in 1977 at the vineyard from Michael Heitz, who was taking two of us on a personal tour. Joe Heitz very ungraciously signed a bottle for each of us. I come to find out years later that this was his son's first vintage and we made a big deal out of Joe signing it. I actually got a picture of Joe in the office, which displeased him highly. Unfortunately the bottle has been poorly stored and "saved" way too long and is surely useless. It has leaked through the cork, which I am told is a sure sign of spoilage. It will have to go on a pedestal with the picture, to fill a light box in the cellar.
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Hi Time Cellars, shopping for wine with Kathy and chose the 1974 to taste instead of the entire flight. Rich nose, slightly hot, lots of Cabernet fruit on the palate, mint, eucalyptus, nice fruit but not as rich or elegant as tasted at Heitz years ago, this tastes slightly old, good bottle but not the best that I have tasted.
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At Singer & Foy tasting of older cabs. Fine brick ruby color. Orange/amber rim. Great fruit in the nose. Mint and plummy fruit. Really big on the palate, still with unresolved tannins. Lots osf eucalyptus - even too much. Overpowering eucalyptus does this one in. 5-13-14-6: 88/100.
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INCREDIBLE NOSE AND COMPLEXITY AS WELL AS YOUTH FOR A '74. STILL LOTS OF TIME LEFT IN THIS WINE. DEEP RICH AROMA AND FLAVORS. LONG FINISH, AND YES, THE MINTYNESS IS THERE!
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2/2/2024 - G_H wrote: 97 Points
A 1974 Napa Retrospective (Zunfthaus zur Waag Zürich): After the shock of a corked bottle, the host miraculously had another bottle appear. Amazing generosity, thank you!
This had the hallmark Martha notes, was dense and long and just a pleasure to drink.
Having been lucky enough to taste the 1975 twice lately, it starts becoming quite clear, that the 1975 has now overtaken the 1974 and still has a lot more life ahead of it, whereas I would drink up the 1974 bottles slowly (if you have any and can afford not to sell them).
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2/2/2024 - G_H wrote: flawed
A 1974 Napa Retrospective (Zunfthaus zur Waag Zürich): Unfortunately a bottle that was deeply flawed. Not in the infamous Heitz way or corked but just very off. Such a shame.
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12/14/2023 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
Tobacco, blackberry, cassis, mint leaf, cigar box, spice, spearmint, and earthy notes open to a fully mature, soft, supple, round wine with elegant tannins. There is a lot of intensity, richness, and balance in this sublime example of a fully mature California Cabernet Sauvignon that will not get better with further aging. Drink from 2023-2029.
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12/3/2023 - englishman's claret wrote: 97 Points
Crystalline redcurrant fruit, clear and fine, building over time with impeccable length. Sandalwood, eucalyptus, positively exploding with flavor over time.
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12/2/2023 - RockinCabs wrote: 98 Points
California Wine Weekend; 12/1/2023-12/3/2023 (Mos Eisley Cantina & Waterhouse Restaurant): Nose: Intense eucalyptus, mint, herbs and anise rise to the top, with crystaline red raspberry, blackberry and tart cherry notes. Fruit grows in focus as this opens, and leather, cedar and nori notes develop. Palate: incredible freshness that defies the age, blackberry, dark raspberry, eucalyptus, mint and cocoa and cedar. Spherical in the mouth with graphite and cassis in the mid palate that show the terroir of this vineyard. Finish: Long and focused inner mouth perfume of black fruit and mint.
This started in the decanter quite clenched showing a large amount of eucalyptus and dark fruit, but the detail took a few hours to fully come out. When revisited at the end of dinner this was even better as the focus kept growing.
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9/6/2023 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 98 Points
blind
Still vivid, less cherry coke notes than usually. Very balanced, this bottle at his peak. 1978 one year ago was much fresher. Love this wine. 98
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3/21/2023 - fcxj wrote: 92 Points
A fine claret, but no fireworks for me at least. (16079/52125 and 1200 magnums)
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3/4/2023 - fclarity wrote: 97 Points
I opened 2 bottles for my party and they both showed a very deep red center with a touch of orange at the rim. The high- intensity nose offered up peppermint patties, plums, soil, and some black spices. The second bottle was less minty, less intense, but equally interesting.
In the mouth, this wine was ripe and rich with rounded tannin, firm acidity, and fantastic length. The second bottle was similar but perhaps just slightly more integrated.
This wine is doing great and ready to consume. One of the bottles was a 96 and the other a 97. It will certainly last 10 years. However, toward the end of the night, the alcohol started sticking out a little bit which suggests drinking sooner rather than later.
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1/25/2023 - tastark Likes this wine:
Wow, this was fantastic. Fill was a little low, but was apparently no reason to worry. What a blessing to drink this wine.
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10/7/2022 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 99 Points
I've tried many vintages of Heitz Martha's Vineyard from the 70s and 80s, but this was my first time with the iconic 74, and it lived up to the hype. A singular wine, with tons of signature eucalyptus aromatics, rich and ripe fruit, silky and fully mature, but with no signs of slowing down. What a memorable wine, just fantastic.
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6/7/2022 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Wine Workshop: Heitz Martha's Vineyard (The Dutch): Pretty sure this will be the longest lived wine of the tasting. There's so much good structure here and yet it just comes across as a bit young (I know - crazy to say for a 48 year old wine). Nice acid. Good fruit. Developing and needs some more time. Heard there was a bottle of this the previous week that bowled everyone over. This didn't have that power, but maybe with a bit more time?
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1/31/2022 - Montesquieu Likes this wine: 97 Points
Austin 3-star food + wine; 1/30/2022-1/31/2022 (Our residence, Austin, TX): So grateful to have a chance to try this legend. Bottle performed great. This is now a very elegant wine, though primary/secondary/tertiary flavors are less balanced than I've found in the best Bordeaux of similar age.
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11/24/2021 - Cailles wrote: 99 Points
Legends only: 15 Bordeaux & 2 Heitz MV Magnums: Magnum face-off Heitz MV 1969 vs 1974. Both wines double decanted 3-4 hours prior to consumption. Two Napa Valley legends side by side is a big privilege to drink and both bottles showed incredibly good. The 1974 (rated 99 pts) is close to perfection thanks to unbelievable complexity, perfect delineation and the most wonderful structure. I’m sure that this would have been a triple digit score if I could have followed the wine over a few hours. The 1969 (rated 95+ pts) is dominated by the strong mint/eucalyptus component from the nose to the finish. Still, the wine isn’t monolithic on the palate but not as complex as the 1974 either. The structural frame is impeccable. Some points deducted as there are some unwanted cellar stink aromas in the background.
TN: Expressive nose with some reductive notes, smoke, superb fresh dark fruit and of course mint and eucalyptus notes. Compared to the 1969 in the next glass, this shows much more layered on the nose (the 1969 is mint only). Super clean, and impressive precision. A superb nose but not perfect. On the palate this is incredible, so dense and young, so layered and all aromas with absolute precision. Much more complex than the 1969 with a rainbow of fresh and jammy red, dark red, dark berries. Good minerality lending the wine freshness, together with lots of nutty notes, lots of minty notes (but not as dominating as with the 69), lots of herbs, a bit of malt. Just absolute greatness and perfect. Wow, this is the best Napa Cap I ever had. Incredible.
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10/26/2021 - UpfromtheCellar wrote:
This wine has, in past years, been probably my number one favorite wine of all time. Sadly those days are over/numbered, at least as far as this particular bottle was concerned. The cork was in excellent condition, clean and in great shape, while the fill was at nearly the original level. The wine was stored in impeccable conditions almost since I received it and was my last bottle from a case purchased pre-release directly from the winery. On the palate it was tired and fading but by no means "turned" or "spoiled" (we managed to drink the entire bottle without any complaints, lol). There was a certain amount of unami poking through along with a little fruit and one taster remarked that he found the acids a little sharper than a bottle he remembered drinking 7-9 years ago.
We tasted it alongside a 1983 Cantemerle (also well stored since release) and it was the "better" wine by several notches showing a little more focus and freshness than the Bordeaux.
It was sad to part with this wine but it was time (past time).
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9/17/2021 - europat55 wrote: 91 Points
Nose: 91-92; Palate: 91
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7/7/2021 - racerchris Likes this wine:
From a friend's cellar.
The wine was decanted with the steak on the grill as we enjoyed a steady show of ruby-throated hummingbirds at his feeders on the porch. From the first pour the nose was remarkable. The wine unfurled over the next half hour and was a perfect example of the unique MV character. However a glass saved for later showed a loss of aromatics on the nose and was a little dull on the palate in comparison to how it started out. Still an awesome experience that I never imagined would come my way.
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10/7/2020 - englishman's claret wrote: 95 Points
1974 HEITZ MARTHA’S VINEYARD is properly spoken of as a legendary Californian wine. This expands over the first 20 minutes to show a hugely intense nose of menthol, eucalyptus, balsam, and sandalwood, dominating the cassis, chestnut, leather notes that seem to accent the exotic wood character, rather than the other way around. This is supple in the mouth owing to the resolved tannins and has a beautifully exotic, persistent finish. An utterly distinctive, singular wine.
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10/1/2020 - RockinCabs wrote: 95 Points
Nose: huge voluminous nose of spearmint, eucalyptus and medicinal herbs that just takeover the glass. Massively aromatic. Palate: incredible softness with deep blackberry fruit that again is pushed to the back by mint and eucalyptus. Finish: long and penetrating with chestnut and spearmint
One of the most singular California cabs that I have ever had, and a wine deserving of its legend status. Unique in every way.
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3/3/2020 - La Flama Blanca Likes this wine: 98 Points
Pure Class. Effortlessly a complete wine...JFK reincarnated as present day ‘74 Heitz Martha’s!
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7/18/2019 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 95 Points
Still young, this bottle had intense and deep dark red and purple fruit. Good zip across the palate.
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3/6/2019 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 100 Points
Achim's Magnum Tasting 2017 (Berens am Kai 1 star Restaurant): In der Nase zu Beginn sehr ähnlich wie der Mayacamas. Danach kommen die Coca-Cola und der Eukalyptus durch, aber nicht so extrem wie die letzten Male. Mich erinnert er heute von der Stilistik mehr an einen Bordeaux. Auf dem Höhepunkt und kann sicherlich noch einige Jahrzehnte überleben. Achim meinte, früher galt er als kleiner Bruder des 45er Moutons. Jetzt muß man überlegen, wer nun der kleine Bruder von wem ist..? 100
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1/21/2019 - andtheodor wrote: 95 Points
Eucalyptus in the purest sense, this smelled so good I forgot to taste it at first. Somehow still so fresh and minty, developing an almost garrigue-like herbal sense after a while. Palate is broad, deep, and effortlessly powerful with plenty of fruit to support all the Vick's Vapo-rub. Unreal, and a singular experience, I've never had anything quite like this. From a single owner bottle purchased at the winery.
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1/16/2019 - blanquito wrote: 96 Points
Incredible showing for this legend. Alive, vibrant, intact, thrilling. Drinking it was like one of those Maxell commercials from the 80's, where the guy is hanging on to his seat with the experience blowing his hair and tie back, it's that intense. There are insane levels of mint and yes, eucalyptus on the nose and palate, to go with sensational fruit and acids. Smelling it actually clears the sinuses. Incredible color still, somehow it is uber minty, almost medicinal, and yet is delicious and tastes like cabernet. The mouthfeel is refined and integrated now and the tannins resolved, but this gives the impression that it could keep forever. A thrilling and exceptional experience. From a bottle purchased in 1979 and only somewhat well treated, according to its generous owner. I'd go even higher on my score if there was just a bit more complexity, but other than that, this a perfect and unique wine. 96-97 pts.
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12/15/2018 - robertek wrote: 98 Points
Amazing and humbling in a flight of Screaming Eagle, Harlan and Mouton. This is clearly and icon wine that has many year left but I think is just right to drink now.
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5/21/2018 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 100 Points
Drank it together with my friend Thomas: Great Performance
At his Peak. the nose is Coca-Cola meets eucalyptus Drops but the palate is a fine clack currant taste with spicy and ethereal notes. it gets fresher and fresher every Minute. drank the bottle over 2 hours sharing only with one Person. Phenomenal. Opened two mhours before without decanting. FRom regular bottle at his Peak.100 Thanks Thomas for bringing this gem
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3/28/2018 - clayfu wrote:
Heitz Martha's vertical 74-77 with an absolutely CURSED line up of chardonnay. (Major Domo): I am surprised how long it took this wine to really start to show. Double decanted at 4:30pm and it wasn't until about 8:30pm when the wine really knit together for the last quarter of the bottle. The nose is a beautiful perfume of JUST the right amount of mint, dried red cherries and savory earth. It's an effortless wine, the fruit and medicinal herb just glides on the palate. Wine is fully resolved and elegant on the finish. I keep coming back to how seamless the wine is, just imagine delicate waves of flavor lapping at your tongue.
I wish there was a little more OOMPH on the wine to really push it up a notch, but it's hard to really have complaints on a wine that is pretty much effortless in its ability to please.
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10/16/2017 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 94 Points
Balanced wine with eucalyptus, coffee and soil. Bell pepper notes on the side palate. While this bottle was hanging in there well, it had clearly peaked. 94-
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9/13/2017 - nywine68 Likes this wine: 91 Points
1974 California Tasting (Cafe Boulud): Others liked this much better than I did and admittedly my palate was "overstretched" at this point of the evening. I found the wine to be a bit madeirized and past its prime. The wine has a brooding complexity with mushroom notes. 1974 Cali Cab tasting
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7/15/2017 - Matt D Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful wine. Tasted blind alongside five left bank Bordeaux from 1961. The Martha's was easily distinguishable but equally as interesting as the Bordeaux. Garnet color and beautifully resonating with eucalyptus, minty herb, licorice, and floral notes. Silky smooth across the palate with a small amount of heat on the back. 40 sec finish was pleasant with a unique, almost medicinal characteristic. Tannins have faded and I would say this needs to be drunk now or within the next few years.
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5/30/2017 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
Just a beautiful wine, with its unique, herb, mint, eucalyptus, cherry pipe tobacco and earthy profile. At 45 years of age, this was just showing great.
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5/7/2017 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 100 Points
The legend, I was not that stingy at last time, for me first thought californian, than Bordeaux and the first zip makes it clear: Coca-Cola, mints and eucalyptus, still young, this time 100
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1/2/2017 - DaButtah Likes this wine: 97 Points
From a perfectly stored bottle. Absolutely gorgeous nose of the telltale eucalyptus/crushed mint. Cloudy red color. Gained in intensity throughout the evening. Tremendous showing from a very special bottle of wine.
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11/26/2016 - fcxj wrote: 90 Points
Tobacco and mint nose. Sweet on the palate. Table went ga-ga and guessed Pomerol. While I enjoyed this legend, it did not thrill me.
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11/5/2016 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
Much better than the previous bottle, tasted a few months ago. This showed a sweet, dark, red fruit profile, with a smoky, tobacco, herb and bright cherry character, and a nice balancing act between refined rusticity and elegance. This is not a wine for further aging.
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5/24/2016 - jsebiri wrote:
This wine was very cloudy , port like taste , well paired with cheese course . Would prefer more Calli Cab and less Port. For a 40+ year old bottle of California Cab wine it is holding up well .
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5/21/2016 - G_H wrote: 100 Points
Richter Raritäten Degustation Volume IV - Magnum Edition (all wine out of Magnum): Together with the 1929 it was the WOTN for me. From another planet, but equally amazing. This wine was firing on all cylinders. Eucalyptus, Petrol, Werther's cassis candy, infinitely long aftertaste and with an otherworldly power this is rightly a california legend and the greatest american wine that I have ever tasted. Kudos!
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5/13/2016 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
I find I am more often disappointed than thrilled with this legendary these days. Hey, it's about to hit its 40th birthday. Nothing lasts forever. The nose is a ringer for a Left Bank Bordeaux, with its leafy tobacco, red berry , earthy, kirsch laden charm. Medium/full bodied, elegant, soft and with a sweet red fruit and just a hint of tart cherry in the finish. If you are sitting on a bottle, pop a cork. If you are thinking of buying it, personally, I do not think it is worth the money.
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4/2/2016 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 94 Points
Old Heitz Martha's v. Old Ridge Monte Bello (NoMad): Rusty garnet in the glass with a cloudy core. Unique bouquet. Definitely tertiary but still beautiful and highly expressive. The eucalyptus is nearly overwhelming. Fresh. Creamy coffee, Chai teas, mild spices, herbal, and somewhat medicinal. Nearly Burgundian in aromatic complexity and on the palate as well. A unique and spectacular drinking experience.
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2/24/2016 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine: 98 Points
The legend! A bucket for me…..PnP…drank over 4hrs….Holy Sh@$@@$!….I can't believe how dark and youthful this wine is!!! The cork smelled SO good…I knew God had joined us…….Dark saturated berries…currants, blackberries, cherries…dried and savory…..unbelievable nose and mouthful of dried herbs…bay leaf, euc, mint….cigar wrapper, creme de cassis, pencil lead…..aged nuttiness, 100year old oozing balsamic barrels…..SO silky smooth, layer after layer of the perfect aged cab flavors….thought maybe after hour 2 it was starting to fall apart…but then it sprang back to life in amazing fashion…..we had a great bottle, and a life altering experience!
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1/2/2016 - dlb291@pacbell.net wrote: 90 Points
off odors that made me think it was a bad bottle, but wine acceptable with fair finish. 1 hour and 20 minutes later the wine was good with odors gone. sealed and second half the next day. same initial off odors, then improvement. medium body, tannins, finish. will not get better.
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11/25/2015 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 98 Points
Dark reddish garnet in color with slight bricking at the edges. Full, forward, attractive & complex nose of mature & well developed nose of ripe fruit aromas of dark dried cherries, black plums & currents with the classic "Martha's" overtones of eucalyptus/mint with cigar box notes of cedar & tobacco, some floral notes, earthy, dusty, black tea leaf, dark cocoa, smoky, leather, herbs, spice notes of allspice & sage & minerals. Medium-full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced, silky smooth & elegant textured, complex, mature & developed ripe fruit flavors of sweet cherries, dark plums & tart cranberries with earthy/dusty, distinct mintiness, dried herbs, spices and minerals. Long lingering smooth finish. Drinks quite well at present but has the structure to continue with its current plateau of 41 years of maturity for a several more years if cellared properly although any further development would be nominal. Fill was good (at bottom of neck) although the cork crumbled upon opening. One of the best & most age-worthy California Cabernets I have enjoyed!
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11/6/2015 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
Now, here's a wine I never thought I'd see again. The wine was showing beautifully. This bottle was clearly enjoyed perfect storage, because the earth, mint, smoke, tobacco, cherry and cigar box aromas were intoxicating. Fully mature, the earthy, cherry filled finish kept on going.
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4/12/2015 - partylikeakennedy wrote: 95 Points
Has charcoal, ash, prune nose. Great palate - subtle but complex. Golden raisins, toffee, charred Brussels sprouts. I could drink this all day but I wouldn't NEED to because the finish lasts forever.
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1/10/2015 - rossi.wine wrote: 95 Points
Wonderfully evolved, showing sweet fruit, chocolate, spices, tobacco, mint and forest notes on the nose. Surprisingly lively and fresh on the palate, well balanced, no noticeable tannins, but still great structure, a little tired maybe towards the long and persistent finish. A wonderful bottle! Drink up. 94-96
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9/18/2014 - Wine_lvr wrote: 92 Points
Heitz, Heitz, Heitz and Heitz: Tasting note to follow
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9/6/2014 - Thirsty1 Likes this wine:
We had this along with a 1974 Gaja Barbaresco. Unmistakable Martha's eucalyptus notes, dried cranberry and cedar. Chalky texture and a surprising long finish. Truly one of a kind.
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4/5/2014 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 99 Points
still young, mint and eucalyptus, the length is phenimenal
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2/14/2014 - BradE wrote:
We had the pleasure of flighting two great 74's together - Heitz Martha's and Diamond Creek Volcanic Hill. What a pairing. Both were in perfect shape. Initially, I preferred the Diamond Creek, as its perfect provenance (one owner) shined through. As the wines developed though, the Heitz just took it to another level. Staggering wines, and a flight any wine lover would appreciate.
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12/21/2013 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
Tobacco, blackberry, cassis, mint leaf, cigar box, spice and earthy notes open to a fully mature, soft, supple, round wine with elegant tannins. There is a lot of intensity, richness and balance in this sublime example of fully mature California Cabernet Sauvignon. Tasted blind, I was shocked to find this was close to 40 years old! This bottle was better than the last bottle I tasted. But they pale next to how this wine tasted a few years ago.
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12/12/2013 - dream Likes this wine: 98 Points
Cloudy, faded color. Crazy, intense nose of thick eucalyptus with coffee and cassis. Smoky, round, lush and long on the palate with a crazy amount of complex flavors on the staggering finish. The wine just builds and builds in the mouth delivering one of the most satisfying finishes I've ever encountered. To me, almost port-like similar to the '47 Cheval Blanc of which this wine is reminiscent and definitely in the same league. That liquid eucapytus taste lingers on the palate. Quite mature and really showing up to it's reputation tonight. Wow! (Rarities at 11 Madison)
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11/20/2013 - Stucky wrote: 99 Points
Notes from 1997:
Unforgettable chocolate and menthol nose. Seamless tobacco tannin structure met by soft currant undertones. Should age for decades. Best red that I can remember.
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6/13/2013 - Sotto325 wrote: 94 Points
As one of our crew said, this is iconic. Having said that, this amazingly youthful,n spirited wine that sprang out of the bottle fresh with alcohol and tannin, was not the wine it was a few years ago, and certainly not what it was in the 1990s. But of course 40 years and an excellent showing make this one of very few. Smokey scents, dark cherry and currant, and later mint accompanied the eucalyptus and soft vehicle on the tongue.
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2/23/2013 - lepetitchateau wrote: 97 Points
Smoke and amazing intensity on the nose - wow! The palate is pure and saturated, ripe red fruit dominate with super complexity. This is a happy wine, clean, clear and sweet. From a rare magnum, quite a treat.
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1/20/2013 - jsebiri wrote:
popped , decanted for 5mins nice lite red color nose very alcohol and secondary.....over next few hours mellowed and sweetened up a bit .......i have very few opportunities to drink close to 40 year old wine , this was very nice all around real gem
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11/17/2012 - aborgida wrote: 100 Points
M&m m&m
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9/18/2012 - kmforster wrote:
We were very nervous when we opened this. It seemed thin, acidic, and the signature eucalyptus note was almost undetectable. But we said to ourselves, how many bottles of old bordeaux have we had that were like this upon opening? So into the decanter it went, and two hours later, it started to sing. This particular bottle was clearly past its prime, but it was still delectable. Great nose and persistence. I imagine 10 years ago this was insane. Still tasty especially to those who love this particular wine, as we do.
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4/18/2012 - Koods wrote:
out of format. perfection.
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1/7/2011 - Burgundy Al wrote: 96 Points
Totally Over the Top Lunch and Tasting (Tocqueville Restaurant - New York NY): Still vibrant black plum aromas, great spice, mint, eucalyptus with faint barnyard hints. Same plum again on palate with some black cherry, great textures, depth and balance. My #2 wine today, group's #5.
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1/1/2011 - *Vine* wrote:
Why not start the New Year off right?
This bottle was acquired a few years ago from a collector who had purchased upon release from the winery. Mid-shoulder fill. Corroded capsule easily removed to reveal quite a bit of mold on the cork. Waiter's friend used to extract the cork; however, the cork split and splintered into fragments just as it was freeing from the neck, the majority of which were then removed with tweezers. Due to an amazing amount of sediment, this wine was decanted immediately.
Upon first pour it was quite amazing to see the deep hue of rusty ruby/garnet; remarkably youthful in appearance. In glass, the aromas were initially off-putting and somewhat reminiscent of burnt herbs and vegetal funk. However, after 20-30 minutes in glass the aromatic profile underwent a stunningly beautiful transformation to reveal pronounced notes of earth, cigar butt, aged cedar, and a satisfying expression of the telltale mint/eucalyptus note so many have waxed poetic on over the years. Although not unexpected, in mouth it's still surprising this wine has retained such concentration...medium to medium-plus body most certainly. If the nose had only shown the greatness of this wine the experience would have gratifying enough but the sheer expressiveness and complexity exhibited on the palate pushes one beyond the threshold of mere, written description. Perhaps the best way to elaborate would be to simply mention how clearly this beautiful wine expresses the terrior from which it originates; one is seemingly transported into Martha's Vineyard through vivid expression of loamy earth, tobacco leaf, mild red fruits, mint, and even a faint hint of minerals...all flavors that linger through on the multi-faceted, endless finish. Interestingly enough, the tannins have yet to completely integrate and seem to indicate that conservatively this has at least more years left. An epiphany wine; absolutely mind-boggling and emotionally provocative, the memory of which will be contemplated for many years to come.
This was tasted alongside the 1985 Heitz Martha's Vineyard. Worth noting is both wines shared much more similarities in terms of flavor profile, texture, and finish than differences.
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12/9/2010 - Chuck Miller wrote:
I've been fortunate to have had this wine a half dozen times. This one was the best of them all. The bottle was base neck fill, double decanted about a hour before dinner. A good bottle like this could go another 5-10 years, but why? Stunning.
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11/27/2010 - G_H Likes this wine: 97 Points
Heitz and deer (Heitz und Hirsch mit René Gabriel) (Restaurant Sempacherhof): sweet, lemon, camomille tea, malt, tee, beeswax, head-to-head with the 1975 but won at the end, mainly because when you had nearly nothing left in the glass it had a fantastic nose!
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8/12/2010 - Jeff Leve wrote: 89 Points
Probably not a correct bottle. Cassis, tobacco and earthy scents were easy to find, However, there was no sensation of mint and hints of musty aromatics were present. Dense cassis flavors made up the finish. Sadly, I’m still waiting to taste an epiphany bottle from this legendary California Cabernet.
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7/31/2010 - the noble rotter Likes this wine:
Well-cellared and un-moved for the last 19 years, I feared that this wouldn't survive the shock of a move to a new storage facility - so we opened it on Saturday morning during a break in the carrying of heavy cases, alongside the Bella Oaks '77.
The label had long gone and the cork wasn't in great condition but it teased out cleanly.
I really did expect that this would have fallen apart, but I was utterly wrong. Pouring clear and bright with a broad tawny rim, I was thrilled to see the deep blood-coloured core denoting a good measure of life left yet.
The expansive perfume was mostly composed of the warm spice and eucalyptus elements with just a touch of soft red fruits (certainly not cassis). Very appealing, and without the sous bois elements of some mature Bordeaux.
On the palate it substituted breadth of flavour for length - beautifully composed, and with perfect balancing acidity still in evidence, it persisted for more than a minute and left just a touch of spice behind it.
This is quite a tricky wine to write a note for. It's the oldest and most august California wine I've ever tasted and my expectations were confused - on the one hand, its tremendous reputation and on the other, my lack of faith that it could have lasted this long. My reference points are Bordeaux and as such I'm reminded of Palmer '70 or Ducru Beaucaillou '64. The perfume makes me think of Margaux (but without the violets) - maybe St Julien is about right.
Clearly this is not going to improve (it doesn't really need to!) but neither do I think it's going to collapse soon, either. If I had another, I'd be interested to try again for its 40th birthday. Sadly, I don't.
Afterthought: Who is making California wine like this, now? What I mean is a perfectly crafted, elegant, ageworthy wine. I would estimate the alcohol here at 13%, and I'd struggle to find a Napa Cab at that strength now. I can't remember the last time I tasted a Napa wine I'd wait 40 years for (Mondavi Reserve, maybe?)
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5/8/2010 - Serge Birbrair wrote:
California Cult Wines tasting - eye openers and disapointments (WineWatch tasting and dinner, Fort Lauderdale): I don't recall having more interesting California Cab, or older California Cab for this matter. Surprisingly young in color and taste with plenty of secondaries and flower nuances, minerals, stone and tannins with plenty of life. My #1 from "Dusty old Bottles flight". Just unreal.
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3/21/2010 - Brsed wrote: 99 Points
The color was ruby red with a just a bit of orange at the edges. The nose was very expressive with elements of red fruit and mint and eucalyptus. Perhaps the finest wine I have ever tried.
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10/2/2009 - ed-d wrote: 88 Points
Classic old socks with a bit of currant peeking through the nose. Big, old cabernet with a slight sour edge & lots of leather. OK.
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5/23/2009 - mmyette wrote: 93 Points
This wine was surprisingly spry, showing that long-lived wines can come from Napa. This wine smelt of leather, elderberries, mature spice, eucalyptis, and earth. The wine was almost sweet on the palate, with rich molassis surrounded by loam, mint, roasted mushrooms, allspice, and sage. The finish was long, and pleasant. This wine was not overwhelming, nor was it in any way like modern Napa wines. Balance was its best asset. Not exactly Bordeaux either. Hard to characterize, but it was very nice.
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5/12/2009 - Rupert wrote: 95 Points
Heitz Martha's Vineyard vertical 1970 to 1999 (IOD, London): Penetrating nose of malt, mint, cassis, intense, but balanced - fantastic, complete wine. The best wine of the evening by a street
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4/18/2009 - DarkStar1974 wrote:
Much different then the last bottle we opened less then 2 years agp. Bought from a source who claimed to be the original owner and wine has been cellared since. The cork was wet about 1/2-3/4 of the way up but there was no evidence of seepage. the cork did crumble some when removed. i would say i got 3/4 of it out before the breakage occured. the color looked what i remembered...amber-like, almost orange when held under light. the nose however was way off. very, very musty...serious earthtones. all 4 drinkers thought the wine jsut didnt stay together. the fruit was dead. however.....i wasnt ready to give up. i tried the wine again 3-4 hrs later and it was a little better. i decided to keep it in the decanter overnight just to see what would happen. surprisingly, i just drank a glass and it was much better. the minty overtones were def present, but the wine still wasnt right. not sure if the fruit just died after 35 yrs or the seal was somehow compromised. i have 2 left, looking forward to trying them soon.
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2/25/2009 - sluttywine wrote: 98 Points
One of the finest California Cabs I have ever tasted. Drank at Redd in Yountville for brothers 34th Birthday. I should have drank it myself in a cave in the hills. It was phenomenol. Still youthful but should be drank very soon. I have one more and won't drink it until his 40th. Herbaceous, slight mint (eucalyptus), dense, chewy, still very dark and brooding. It went too quick but gave us 2 hours of enjoyment...98 points
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11/15/2008 - Wonder wrote: 95 Points
I received this wine from my oldest friend Lars of Sonoma, and has been cellared properly since it was created. What a treat. This wine had many years to go in the bottle, at least 10 from my experience. It was all fruit, complex and had hints of chocolate. We shared this with our friends on his 57th birthday.....it doesn't get any better, old friends, and great old wine.
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5/9/2008 - goofy Yno wrote:
burnt nose with mushroom, oxidized qualities. red fruits on the mouth with leather.
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5/8/2008 - jeff nowak wrote: flawed
heat damaged.
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5/7/2008 - mattiasjansson wrote: flawed
Oxidized
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5/7/2008 - ScottS wrote: flawed
California Bordeaux Blends (Backstreet Wine Salon - PHX, AZ): Light to medium red core with orange bricking in color. Prune, raisin and cedar with a little heat on the finish. Over the hill & perhaps oxidized. This wine faded within 5 mins in the glass
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12/18/2007 - DarkStar1974 wrote: 98 Points
1974 is both mine and my wife's year of birth, so we only drink these on big occasions. this night happened to be my birthday. the wine has an amber, orange type color. a little peppery, with hints of chocholate . was actually a little hot at first on the nose. surprised it had that kind of alcohol still after 30+ yrs. triple decanted it b/c the setiment was so fine it was going through the strainer. once it opened up a little, the wine was magnificent. shocking how much fruit is still left in this 33 year old wine. unlike any other california cab i've ever tasted. very glad i have 3 more in mint condition!!!
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8/15/2007 - wslavitt wrote: 95 Points
The wine leaked a bit several years ago due to improper cellaring. When I uncorked it, the cork was moist and split in half. Sediment was visible. Decanted for 3 hours. The nose was so fruity. Color had just a tinge of brown, which dissipated after awhile. The wine opened up so nicely. Very round and long. Now I wish I had kept it for a few more years!
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6/4/2007 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 96 Points
james laube Challenge re 1996 Napa Cabs @ DUO, Miami (DUO, S Miami Avenue, Miami, FL): Flight 4, #2. CRAIG's Mystery X Wine!!! THANK YOU CRAIG!!! the WOTN for Brett, Oscar and ME. The only way you could differentiate this Legendary wine from its younger cousins was by the slight variance in color. It was more garnet than the others, but bouquet depth balance, etc were extraodinary for a 34 YEAR OLD Wine. To me it is testament to the fact that the best NAPA Cabs can age as well or better than their foreign counterparts.
About 30 years ago we had a dinner party for 4, where I paired the 74 BV Georges Latour, and the 74 Lousi Martini Reserve(Monte Bello), vs 62 Petrus and 66 Palmer. To me and the other male, we both preferred the American's. The girls went for the French.
It is perhaps equally noteworthy that jl only gave this wine a recent 87, while RP gave it a 98(13 years ago)!
I failed to mention that CESAR, immediately identified this as Martha's Vineyard, citing the unique eaucalyptus notes, although he had no idea of the YEAR!
pps- I much prefer this wine to the 100 point 82 Latour with which I welcomed in the Millenium!
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1/10/2007 - G SQUARED wrote: 94 Points
Dinner at Acquarello with Wilf and Garen. Nose was a little muted but began to show the usual eucalyptus notes after about 30 minutes and it became ethereal. I think this bottle was a little past it's prime. Slightly oxidized and a little plummy, but still was a beauty.
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5/15/2006 - jamiekutch wrote:
San Francisco MONSTER Offline - 31 Notes, Pictures & Review of the Evening: There's that minty nose I have read so many times about. Sorry to say the downward is just beginning. Palate is so full of flavors. Great mouth feel with a subtle finish that doesn't last quiet as long as I would have liked
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5/1/2006 - PaulH wrote: 98 Points
Old California Wines with Francois Audouze (Jack Falstaff Restaurant - San Francisco, California): I got a small taste of this and was very impressed. It had a gigantic nose of mint and eucalyptus plus cigar box. The color was a deep and dark red, still solid out to the edge. The palate showed silky tannins, plus enough ripe fruit and acidity to allow this 30+ year old to masquarade as a youngster. Had I tried this blind, I would have guessed it was from 1990 or 1991. It is a tremendous wine which I feel honored to have tasted. I did a bit of research later and found that this is a legendary wine and that my small (less than an ounce) taste was worth about $30. I don't know who brought this to the tasting, but whoever you were, may the angels smile upon you!
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2/25/2005 - kbob wrote:
I bought this wine in 1977 at the vineyard from Michael Heitz, who was taking two of us on a personal tour. Joe Heitz very ungraciously signed a bottle for each of us. I come to find out years later that this was his son's first vintage and we made a big deal out of Joe signing it. I actually got a picture of Joe in the office, which displeased him highly. Unfortunately the bottle has been poorly stored and "saved" way too long and is surely useless. It has leaked through the cork, which I am told is a sure sign of spoilage. It will have to go on a pedestal with the picture, to fill a light box in the cellar.
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4/23/1994 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 94 Points
Hi Time Cellars, shopping for wine with Kathy and chose the 1974 to taste instead of the entire flight. Rich nose, slightly hot, lots of Cabernet fruit on the palate, mint, eucalyptus, nice fruit but not as rich or elegant as tasted at Heitz years ago, this tastes slightly old, good bottle but not the best that I have tasted.
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1/23/1993 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 95 Points
Heitz Tasting (Hi-Time Wine Cellars, Costa Mesa, Ca.): Big, rich, elegant bouquet, great nose, hint of tannin, bright orange in the glass, rich, elegant, soft, concentrated, fruit, nice finish, slightly closed.
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8/3/1991 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 88 Points
At Singer & Foy tasting of older cabs. Fine brick ruby color. Orange/amber rim. Great fruit in the nose. Mint and plummy fruit. Really big on the palate, still with unresolved tannins. Lots osf eucalyptus - even too much. Overpowering eucalyptus does this one in. 5-13-14-6: 88/100.
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5/16/1990 - buckeye76 wrote: 97 Points
INCREDIBLE NOSE AND COMPLEXITY AS WELL AS YOUTH FOR A '74. STILL LOTS OF TIME LEFT IN THIS WINE. DEEP RICH AROMA AND FLAVORS. LONG FINISH, AND YES, THE MINTYNESS IS THERE!
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4/1/1988 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine:
Tasted at the office with MPL and BLR some time in April 1988. Very strong cabernet. Not mature.
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