June 7, 2022 - Wine Workshop: Heitz Martha's Vineyard (The Dutch): This felt perhaps like of all the wines the one that was most in its drinking window. Still doing quite well but not sure that this will end up getting significantly better. It's all fresh and minty and black fruits and some additional layers. It's drinking really nicely now.
September 18, 2014 - Heitz, Heitz, Heitz and Heitz: Tasting note to follow
July 19, 2013 - Excellent fill/condition; mushrooms, truffle, forest floor; soft wet leather, lovely bouquet with light brown spices; silky, tannins pretty much resolved; slight tart sourness in mid-palate; this sailed for about 20 minutes, then crashed (or the '99 S. Conn Stag's Leap Cab and '05 Arger Martucci Cab completely transformed my palate!). I should've stayed with this a while longer before trying other wines. But quite nice and beautiful while it lasted.
March 29, 2012 - Tobacco, cassis, earth, medium bodied and offering cassis with cranberry flavors, this was past its prime. Drink up.
January 29, 2011 - Base neck fill. Purchased from a retailer who seems to have procured it from Sotheby's.
Popped and poured, which was the right decision. Earthy funk on the nose that blew off over time. Aromatics enjoyable, if not pronounced or special.
On the palate someone at the table commented that they would have mistaken it for Bordeaux due to the eucalyptus and lead pencil.
That said, I found the palate to be signature (old school) California. Dry baker's chocolate, tobacco, and deep, dark fruit dominant with noticeable, though subtle vanillan oak -- but not in an aggressive or unpleasant way. In fact, I'm certain that it knit together a wine that would have been a bit astringent without proper oak treatment . Dense, concentrated, and chewy in flavor though the body was as medium as you get. This wine was very enjoyable and certainly at apogee 38 years later. There's no reason to think that properly cellared examples couldn't hold on for another 5-10.
July 7, 2010 - Bottle and fill were in good shape, but under the capsule there were a few tiny streaks of seepage on the top of the cork. No problems, however, similar to last note - superb. I hope that someone in California today is making wine like this - I have yet to find it.
March 21, 2010 - Cork was mostly whole with streaks to the end. Nose was quite muted but the taste was more expressive. Lovely layers of red fruit that could probably go a little while longer. Apparently, 1972 was a tough vintage in California, but Heitz managed to make a lovely wine.
January 3, 2009 - Bottle and fill excellent. Cork showed a few fingers of wine soaking up to the top. Decanted and breathing for about an hour. Lovely wine with years of life ahead. I did not get a mint or eucalyptus note, but it was a transcendent wine nonetheless. Better than the 1985 Martha's (also wonderful) and way ahead of several other notable West Coast wines. This wine really shows how great California wines can be when made and aged properly.
November 6, 2007 - I loved it. Sweet, lovely red fruit with secondary characteristics and a nice soft feel on the palate. Easy to enjoy, still alive and charming, but I suppose it's drawing near its conclusion. I doubt it will improve any, but I guess it may have a few more years left to it, with a graceful decline over the next 5-10 if kept in pristine storage conditions.
March 18, 2007 - Still has fruit, deep red; very enjoyable; decanted for 30 min. Very nicely built.