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1998 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Bella Oaks |
| Vintage | 1998 |  Label 1 of 8   | |
| Type | Red | ||
| Producer | Heitz Cellar (web) | ||
| Variety | Cabernet Sauvignon | ||
| Designation | n/a | ||
| Vineyard | Bella Oaks | ||
| Country | USA | ||
| Region | California | ||
| SubRegion | Napa Valley | ||
| Appellation | Oakville | ||
| UPC Code | 098809019824 |
| Community Tasting History |
Community Tasting Notes (average 89.7 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 46 notes) | |
| Tasted by masi3v on 2/5/2010 & rated 89 points: Double decanted with Vinturi and back into the bottle to take to a BYOB. A bit vegetal on the nose and on the palate, with not a lot of fruit left. Pretty well balanced with some good acidity and back end tannins. A pretty good effort for a tough year. Even at $30, not sure I will get more, though. (156 views) | |
| Tasted by Anonymous on 2/5/2010 & rated 90 points: Drinking well. Strong vegetable flavors on front pallet of green bell pepper with hints of jalapeno giving way to dark berry fruit and earth. Deep dark garnet in color. Heitz is selling for $26 to close it out - this is a fantastic wine that is ready to enjoy at a great price. (199 views) | |
| Tasted by pdadams66 on 2/4/2010 & rated 90 points: (204 views) | |
| Tasted by JJG1961 on 1/30/2010 & rated 89 points: i thought it has a nice ruby color, was fruity on the nose, and tasted of currants and berries with a hint of chocolate. Nice but not overpowering finish (349 views) | |
| Tasted by Gunzee on 1/30/2010 & rated 90 points: Excellent for the price paid, was a bit worried reading other ratings and after seeing the color once poured, but I thought it was trememdous, and a good value. Full bodied, smooth, with a nice finish (393 views) | |
| Tasted by kalkas on 1/23/2010: Drank at King's House (429 views) | |
| Tasted by Gunzee on 1/6/2010: Wow, much better than expected based on the vintage and the color once decanted. Definitely ready to drink now; nice body, nice balance of oak and fruit, a steal at the PCL for $29. (694 views) | |
| Tasted by Rich S on 12/30/2009 & rated 93 points: Tasted at an off-line event. Medium purple color. On the nose lots of beautiful cedar box, red berries and currants. Similar flavors on the palate. Not too much oak. Super smooth mouthfeel, still some tannins holding on, and a really nice finish. Beautiful cabernet. (754 views) | |
| Tasted by dontime on 11/25/2009 & rated 89 points: (981 views) | |
| Tasted by Bobo N on 11/1/2009 & rated 93 points: A great wine for the vintage and classic Napa Cab w/ black cherry, oak,tar, chocolate & leather. Long finish. Did not get the eucaplytus i've noticed with this wine in the past. Glad I have 1 more of these. Others familiar with Napa wines could not believe this was from the '98 vintage and for most, this was WOTN over some more expensive Napa Cab and Brunello. (1599 views) | |
| Tasted by Coleman on 10/30/2009 & rated 88 points: Tasted at the winery. A little black pepper and bell pepper, but not as much fruit as I would like. Fairly thin. (1596 views) | |
| Tasted by tederf on 9/2/2009 & rated 88 points: After sitting in the glass I did get some red fruit aroma - not a whole lot. Flavors of oak ( not overwhelming) and what seems like leather that was splashed with some red cherry juice. Long lasting in the mouth and silky. Some cassis on the mid-palate. Good at the price PLCB cleared it out. (1861 views) | |
| Tasted by wynnewood500 on 8/23/2009: Drinking great! (1924 views) | |
| Tasted by winot on 8/14/2009 & rated 91 points: Med deep maroon, kinda unusual nose of brambles and black raspberries-some mineral notes-palate is smooth, with some still substantial but ripe tannins, nice balance-palate shows some classic Napa cassis, but also herbal and mineral notes, I quite liked this, and it still had 2-8 yrs of life left. This was acquired at the winery and subsequently cellared at 58 degrees. (1971 views) | |
| Tasted by dssmith on 7/24/2009 & rated 92 points: a very pleasant wine. It has strong fruit backed up by a reasonable amount of tannin and oak. this is a nicely balanced wine. (2146 views) | |
| Tasted by nogohawk on 7/20/2009 & rated 89 points: Same notes as before - nice Cab, but not great; tannins have mellowed (2144 views) | |
| Tasted by emf on 5/3/2009: It is great to be able to try a wine this old. It was dark red in color and had understated aromas of red fruit.The wine was very silky with no tannins at all. It tasted of red fruit,like bing cherries and ripe plums. Also I noticed black licorice with some spiciness. it was a good experience. (2509 views) | |
| Tasted by tapngrill on 5/1/2009 & rated 89 points: When opened, a strong minerality was evident. Green bell pepper with complex fruit and spice. The next day it seemed to soften, tannins relaxed and the fruit faded a bit. Great mouthfeel, silky and smooth. Interesting flavors and structure. (2544 views) | |
| Tasted by dssmith on 4/27/2009 & rated 94 points: This wine is on sale in Pennsylvania. It is mature, an excellent balance between fruit and oak. The tanins are very soft. If you live in Pennsyvania and enjoy Cabernet go out and buy this wine. Once it is gone, its back to the young immature wines that the PA Liquour control Board tends to stock. There was a long review of this wine in the Sunday, April 26, Philadelphia Inquirer -- it gives much more detail and even more reasons to buy this wine (2605 views) | |
| Tasted by aveeck on 4/24/2009 & rated 85 points: COLOR - looked thin on the depth of color side, but red; not real brown/brick to indicate too old. NOSE - malbec evident, smells like the bordeaux-inspired red I would expect from old-world-style producer; pleasant nose, but a little unbalanced that may indicate thinness. TASTE - yes, a bit thin; tannins weak, fruits weak, but not unpleasant; very little structure. After several hours of oxidation, it became flatter and hotter (alcohol), and any interesting fruit pretty much disappeared. Drink up. RATING - 85. (2743 views) | |
| Tasted by nogohawk on 4/4/2009 & rated 89 points: On sale @ PLCB for $30 - not too sure what to expect; Decant for 30 mins. - was good wine, not great. Tannins have really mellowed - not much left; Black cherry & a little spice. (2849 views) | |
| Tasted by J2K on 3/17/2009 & rated 83 points: Got it for $ 30 dollars and was a little concerned about the age so bought one bottle. Decanted 2 hours. Black cherry nose with some cinnamon. Palate was more black cherry, some licorice, dark fruit. The tannins and acidity are gone which makes a smooth mouthfeel but also makes this wine more of a strong overripe fruit without structure. The finish and aftertaste is lingering but the taste just isn't that pleasant, kind of empty and flinty(?). Overall, I think it's good but probably either past it's prime or just wasn't that good to start especially considering 1998 was not a great vintage for Cali.I can find better wines for $30. Drink now. (3068 views) | |
| Tasted by mye on 1/13/2009 & rated 90 points: consumed at a birthday dinner with Bone in Rib Eye.. again drinking very well right now. ripe fruits on the nose, strong earth, mineral, and herb on the palate.. medium long finish. enjoyed with the dinner. (3142 views) | |
| Tasted by mye on 11/29/2008 & rated 90 points: Clear Dark Red Pleasant aromas of ripe fruit, crème de cassis. May open up more with decanting. It was poured from bottle at winery Balanced, and mild tannins. Hints of earth, and dust, with quite a long finish. Not as complex as some of the top wines. Drinking quite well, and certainly good for the price ($78 for magnum) (3156 views) | |
| Tasted by scott davis on 11/12/2008 & rated 92 points: Dark purple core with bricking red legs. A bouquet of ripe fruit and truffles, with a hint of menthol and herb unfolds on the nose. The palate shows beautiful, complex flavors of dusty Rutherford blue and red berry, dry leather, mocha, and a nice smoke character on the close. A well-delineated core of fruit remains prevalent throughout. Nicely balanced with big, yet resolved tannins and a staying, supple-textured finish. This 1998 is at its peak right now. Bottle 12,177 of 73,488. 14.2% alcohol. (3224 views) | |
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About red wine Varietal character (Appellation America) [Requires a subscription payment for information.] WineAmerica (National Association of American Wineries) | Free the Grapes! California Wines (Wine Institute of California) California is one of the most diverse wine regions in the world, with almost 100 grape varieties grown in almost 10 viticultural areas, including dozens of different microclimates and soil types, as well as a very individualistic set of winemakers, many with international experience, which adds to and deepens that diversity. Napa Valley Wineries and Wine (Napa Valley Vintners) | Article in CellarTracker Oakville |
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