1985 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Martha's Vineyard
Community Tasting Note
oldwines wrote:
95 Points
Saturday, April 13, 2013 - Perfectly mature deep garnet and brick color. Nose hits you with the typical herbal, minty eucalyptus along with earthy red fruit, cedar, vanilla
and plum. Mouthfeel is quite rich and soft, more so than others indicated. Flavors as indicated in the nose with the addition of some chocolate, cherry and black raspberry. The aftertaste was moderately long and the wine went well with grilled steaks. Wonderfully balanced and delicious lasting for 5-6 hours after decanting evolving favorably throughout but probably best at about the 3 hour point. The wine was served along side 1985 Chateau Margaux. While it was a very close comparison, I think the Heitz was better on the margin due to the longer richer finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue (4,964 views)
8 comments have been posted
Post a Comment
/ View oldwines's profile
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue (4,964 views)
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue (4,964 views)
Comment posted by bestdamncab:
4/13/2013 7:00:00 PM - The 1985 Heitz Martha's Vineyard is one of my favorite wines of all times. I agree it has a tremendous finish and that eucalyptus mint taste now missing in the modern day wines. I only have two bottles left. Your notes make me want to open one.
Comment posted by oldwines:
4/14/2013 8:24:00 PM - It was great and I only have one left myself. To be fair I don't think it will be getting any better. Of note I finished a small amount left at about noon the next day and it was still evolving, with a rich hocolate finish. It was still better than the remaining Margaux.
Comment posted by bestdamncab:
4/15/2013 9:49:00 PM - Joe Heitz would phone Kathy and I in Los Angeles to remind us of his release event in the early seventies and you tasted his wine served on a TV table in front of his garage.
Those were the days.
Comment posted by oldwines:
4/16/2013 4:06:00 AM - I didn't start into wine until about 1980, but I miss the more relaxed environment as well. One of my most prized bottles was 1974 Martha's which we drank 4 years ago at 35 years old and before I was on Cellar-Tracker. It was fantastic! But believe it or not I have only met Joe once at a Wine Spectator event, back a few years.
Comment posted by bestdamncab:
4/16/2013 10:58:00 PM - I remember payiny $10 for the 1974 and consuming over a dozen bottles of the wine. How I wish I saved them. Joe greeted us in 1972 and Kathy showed him her engagement ring, Joe made a call in front of us and told the guy on the other end we are great customers-yeah we bought $200 a year from Joe. we drove over and met Charlie Wagner who has a 1972 Cabernet and said welcome. I have bought over $100,000 of Caymus since that day. As Charlie sai its the bestdamncab and that it is!!!
Comment posted by oldwines:
4/17/2013 4:53:00 AM - Agreed....it was a different time. On my second visit to Caymus (probably around 1984) we had a similar experience, Charlie greeted us and when I told him I wanted some of the 1978 Special Selection for our anniversary because we were married that year, after saying he had none left, he left the room and came back with 3 bottles from his own cellar, which he signed for us. The marriage didn't last but I still have one of those bottles to drink!
Comment posted by bestdamncab:
4/17/2013 10:18:00 PM - The 1978 is probably the best Caymus I ever drank-seen 7 bottles and every one was outstanding wine, easily 98 points every time, haven't tasted it in seven years.
Comment posted by bestdamncab:
5/26/2013 6:31:00 AM - Will you be at the Silver Oak release party on august 3, 2013? They always open a ten year old bottle or two in the VIP area.