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Wine (alt.food.wine) Devoted to the discussion of wine and wine-related topics. A place to read and comment about wines, wine and food matching, storage systems, wine paraphernalia, etc. In general, any topic related to wine is valid fodder for the group. |
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TN Heitz Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 1976
The wine is Heitz Cellar Napa Valley, Martha's Vineyard Cabernet
Sauvignon 1976, bottled July 1980, bottle 13328 out of 17568 bottles & 1200 magnums, 13 1/2 % alcohol by volume. The wine was properly stored in one place since release in the early 1980s. There were no cork issues, and the fill was low neck. The wine is still dark with only little evidence of age around the rim. It still is holding very well and likely will do so for many more years, although it likely will not improve much more, if any. This was the 7th bottle out of a case, and I see no need to rush to drink the remaining 5 bottles. Heitz's Martha's Vineyard CSs were some of the best made in the Napa Valley in the 70s. Unlike many wines of the era, they were large, but not overly high in alcohol. Heitz had very definite opinions about how to cellar this wine, and it is no accident that it was not bottled until nearly 4 years old. I guess the most accurate description of this wine would be essence of Cabernet Sauvignon. Cassis is the main theme. There is cedar and the trademark eucalyptus note present in many Martha's Vineyard and a few other top Napa vineyard CSs. There is also a hint of a complex mixture of spice. The bouquet and taste are very intense, there is enough acid, and some smooth tannin remains. The balance is nearly perfect. |
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TN Heitz Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 1976
On Nov 12, 2:57�am, cwdjrxyz > wrote:
> The wine is Heitz Cellar Napa Valley, Martha's Vineyard Cabernet > Sauvignon 1976, bottled July 1980, bottle 13328 out of 17568 bottles & > 1200 magnums, 13 1/2 % alcohol by volume. > > The wine was properly stored in one place since release in the early > 1980s. There were no cork issues, and the fill was low neck. The wine > is still dark with only little evidence of age around the rim. It > still is holding very well and likely will do so for many more years, > although it likely will not improve much more, if any. This was the > 7th bottle out of a case, and I see no need to rush to drink the > remaining 5 bottles. Heitz's Martha's Vineyard CSs were some of the > best made in the Napa Valley in the 70s. Unlike many wines of the era, > they were large, but not overly high in alcohol. Heitz had very > definite opinions about how to cellar this wine, and it is no accident > that it was not bottled until nearly 4 years old. > > I guess the most accurate description of this wine would be essence of > Cabernet Sauvignon. Cassis is the main theme. There is cedar and the > trademark eucalyptus note present in many Martha's Vineyard and a few > other top Napa vineyard CSs. There is also a hint of a complex mixture > of spice. The bouquet and taste are very intense, there is enough > acid, and some smooth tannin remains. The balance is nearly perfect. Thanks for the notes. I still have one bottle of 1974, 1976 and 1978 left in my cellar. When last tasted the 1974 was getting tired. Glad to hear that the '76 is still holding up. I once made the mistake of commenting to Joe Heitz at an in-store tasting about the eucalyptus in Martha's and he became enraged, he turned beet red and virtually screamed at me.."Goddammit, eucalyptus smells like cat's **** and my wine doesn't smell or taste like cat's ****!" The wine rep that was driving him around told me later that the same thing had happened at virtually every tasting that he had been to with Joe over the years. FWIW, I still think it has an abundance of eucalyptus notes. |
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TN Heitz Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 1976
Bi!! wrote:
> Thanks for the notes. I still have one bottle of 1974, 1976 and 1978 > left in my cellar. When last tasted the 1974 was getting tired. Glad > to hear that the '76 is still holding up. I once made the mistake of > commenting to Joe Heitz at an in-store tasting about the eucalyptus in > Martha's and he became enraged, he turned beet red and virtually > screamed at me.."Goddammit, eucalyptus smells like cat's **** and my > wine doesn't smell or taste like cat's ****!" The wine rep that was > driving him around told me later that the same thing had happened at > virtually every tasting that he had been to with Joe over the years. > FWIW, I still think it has an abundance of eucalyptus notes. Very amusing Joe Heitz story, Bill. Many get a strong mint element in Heitz Cabs, especially the Martha's. I'd hazard a guess that one person's mint is another person's eucalyptus, as both are produced by a related family of small molecules known as terpenes. I often have a hard time deciding between the two descriptors for the wines of Cline and Penfolds (and, more recently, Phelps) where they seem to be nearly omnipresent. Perhaps if you'd used "mint" instead, Joe wouldn't have erupted. For my part, I'd have responded that there are over 200 different varieties of eucalyptus and that he clearly was referring to a different variety than I was ;-) Mark Lipton (Who still regards the '74 Martha's as one of his all-time great wine experiences) -- alt.food.wine FAQ: http://winefaq.cwdjr.net |
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TN Heitz Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 1976
On Nov 12, 11:17�am, Mark Lipton > wrote:
> Bi!! wrote: > > Thanks for the notes. �I still have one bottle of 1974, 1976 and 1978 > > left in my cellar. �When last tasted the 1974 was getting tired.. �Glad > > to hear that the '76 is still holding up. �I once made the mistake of > > commenting to Joe Heitz at an in-store tasting about the eucalyptus in > > Martha's and he became enraged, he turned beet red and virtually > > screamed at me.."Goddammit, eucalyptus smells like cat's **** and my > > wine doesn't smell or taste like cat's ****!" �The wine rep that was > > driving him around told me later that the same thing had happened at > > virtually every tasting that he had been to with Joe over the years. > > FWIW, I still think it has an abundance of eucalyptus notes. > > Very amusing Joe Heitz story, Bill. �Many get a strong mint element in > Heitz Cabs, especially the Martha's. �I'd hazard a guess that one > person's mint is another person's eucalyptus, as both are produced by a > related family of small molecules known as terpenes. �I often have a > hard time deciding between the two descriptors for the wines of Cline > and Penfolds (and, more recently, Phelps) where they seem to be nearly > omnipresent. �Perhaps if you'd used "mint" instead, Joe wouldn't have > erupted. �For my part, I'd have responded that there are over 200 > different varieties of eucalyptus and that he clearly was referring to a > different variety than I was ;-) > > Mark Lipton > (Who still regards the '74 Martha's as one of his all-time great wine > experiences) > > -- > alt.food.wine FAQ: �http://winefaq.cwdjr.net I usually get mint in Aussie wines and I think of menthol as eucalyptus-like and mint is a bit sharper or finer than menthol. 1974 Martha's is my #1 wine of all time. |
Posted to alt.food.wine
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TN Heitz Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 1976
In article
>, "Bi!!" > wrote: > On Nov 12, 2:57?am, cwdjrxyz > wrote: > > The wine is Heitz Cellar Napa Valley, Martha's Vineyard Cabernet > > Sauvignon 1976, bottled July 1980, bottle 13328 out of 17568 bottles & > > 1200 magnums, 13 1/2 % alcohol by volume. > > > > The wine was properly stored in one place since release in the early > > 1980s. There were no cork issues, and the fill was low neck. The wine > > is still dark with only little evidence of age around the rim. It > > still is holding very well and likely will do so for many more years, > > although it likely will not improve much more, if any. This was the > > 7th bottle out of a case, and I see no need to rush to drink the > > remaining 5 bottles. Heitz's Martha's Vineyard CSs were some of the > > best made in the Napa Valley in the 70s. Unlike many wines of the era, > > they were large, but not overly high in alcohol. Heitz had very > > definite opinions about how to cellar this wine, and it is no accident > > that it was not bottled until nearly 4 years old. > > > > I guess the most accurate description of this wine would be essence of > > Cabernet Sauvignon. Cassis is the main theme. There is cedar and the > > trademark eucalyptus note present in many Martha's Vineyard and a few > > other top Napa vineyard CSs. There is also a hint of a complex mixture > > of spice. The bouquet and taste are very intense, there is enough > > acid, and some smooth tannin remains. The balance is nearly perfect. > > Thanks for the notes. I still have one bottle of 1974, 1976 and 1978 > left in my cellar. When last tasted the 1974 was getting tired. Glad > to hear that the '76 is still holding up. I once made the mistake of > commenting to Joe Heitz at an in-store tasting about the eucalyptus in > Martha's and he became enraged, he turned beet red and virtually > screamed at me.."Goddammit, eucalyptus smells like cat's **** and my > wine doesn't smell or taste like cat's ****!" The wine rep that was > driving him around told me later that the same thing had happened at > virtually every tasting that he had been to with Joe over the years. > FWIW, I still think it has an abundance of eucalyptus notes. I can't believe that Joe Heitz doesn't know what eucalyptus smells like but that is the smell of every Heitz Martha's Vineyard that I have ever tasted going back to 1976. |
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TN Heitz Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 1976
On Nov 12, 2:26�pm, Lawrence Leichtman > wrote:
> In article > >, > > > > > > �"Bi!!" > wrote: > > On Nov 12, 2:57?am, cwdjrxyz > wrote: > > > The wine is Heitz Cellar Napa Valley, Martha's Vineyard Cabernet > > > Sauvignon 1976, bottled July 1980, bottle 13328 out of 17568 bottles & > > > 1200 magnums, 13 1/2 % alcohol by volume. > > > > The wine was properly stored in one place since release in the early > > > 1980s. There were no cork issues, and the fill was low neck. The wine > > > is still dark with only little evidence of age around the rim. It > > > still is holding very well and likely will do so for many more years, > > > although it likely will not improve much more, if any. This was the > > > 7th bottle out of a case, and I see no need to rush to drink the > > > remaining 5 bottles. Heitz's Martha's Vineyard CSs were some of the > > > best made in the Napa Valley in the 70s. Unlike many wines of the era, > > > they were large, but not overly high in alcohol. Heitz had very > > > definite opinions about how to cellar this wine, and it is no accident > > > that it was not bottled until nearly 4 years old. > > > > I guess the most accurate description of this wine would be essence of > > > Cabernet Sauvignon. Cassis is the main theme. There is cedar and the > > > trademark eucalyptus note present in many Martha's Vineyard and a few > > > other top Napa vineyard CSs. There is also a hint of a complex mixture > > > of spice. The bouquet and taste are very intense, there is enough > > > acid, and some smooth tannin remains. The balance is nearly perfect. > > > Thanks for the notes. �I still have one bottle of 1974, 1976 and 1978 > > left in my cellar. �When last tasted the 1974 was getting tired.. �Glad > > to hear that the '76 is still holding up. �I once made the mistake of > > commenting to Joe Heitz at an in-store tasting about the eucalyptus in > > Martha's and he became enraged, he turned beet red and virtually > > screamed at me.."Goddammit, eucalyptus smells like cat's **** and my > > wine doesn't smell or taste like cat's ****!" �The wine rep that was > > driving him around told me later that the same thing had happened at > > virtually every tasting that he had been to with Joe over the years. > > FWIW, I still think it has an abundance of eucalyptus notes. > > I can't believe that Joe Heitz doesn't know what eucalyptus smells like > but that is the smell of every Heitz Martha's Vineyard that I have ever > tasted going back to 1976.- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - He knew what it smells like....he just didn't like the fact that his wines smells like it! |
Posted to alt.food.wine
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TN Heitz Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 1976
Bi!! wrote:
> I usually get mint in Aussie wines and I think of menthol as > eucalyptus-like and mint is a bit sharper or finer than menthol. 1974 > Martha's is my #1 wine of all time. Well, keep in mind that menthol is isolated from peppermint, but of course there are many different kinds of mint, so using "mint" as a descriptor is necessarily vague (sorta like eucalyptus ;-)) Mark Lipton -- alt.food.wine FAQ: http://winefaq.cwdjr.net |
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TN Heitz Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 1976
Lawrence Leichtman wrote:
> I can't believe that Joe Heitz doesn't know what eucalyptus smells like > but that is the smell of every Heitz Martha's Vineyard that I have ever > tasted going back to 1976. The problem here is that not all people smell the same thing. To Joe Heitz, eucalyptus smelled like cat ****, whereas to me it has a pleasant, balsamic odor (and, I presume, to you also). Just talk to people about a wine like Beaucastel, where half the group loves it and talks about "meatiness" or "gaminess" and the other half hates it and talks about it smelling like shit. Now, does half the group not know what shit smells like? ;-) Sensitivity to a given smell also plays a role: most people like the smell of eau de skunk at low ppm levels, but far fewer like the smell when it's more intense. Mark Lipton -- alt.food.wine FAQ: http://winefaq.cwdjr.net |
Posted to alt.food.wine
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TN Heitz Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 1976
In article >,
Mark Lipton > wrote: > Lawrence Leichtman wrote: > > > I can't believe that Joe Heitz doesn't know what eucalyptus smells like > > but that is the smell of every Heitz Martha's Vineyard that I have ever > > tasted going back to 1976. > > The problem here is that not all people smell the same thing. To Joe > Heitz, eucalyptus smelled like cat ****, whereas to me it has a > pleasant, balsamic odor (and, I presume, to you also). Just talk to > people about a wine like Beaucastel, where half the group loves it and > talks about "meatiness" or "gaminess" and the other half hates it and > talks about it smelling like shit. Now, does half the group not know > what shit smells like? ;-) Sensitivity to a given smell also plays a > role: most people like the smell of eau de skunk at low ppm levels, but > far fewer like the smell when it's more intense. > > Mark Lipton I love the smell of Eucalyptus. Smells like beautiful places in Northern CA and in Maui. |
Posted to alt.food.wine
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TN Heitz Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 1976
In article
>, "Bi!!" > wrote: > On Nov 12, 2:26?pm, Lawrence Leichtman > wrote: > > In article > > >, > > > > > > > > > > > > ?"Bi!!" > wrote: > > > On Nov 12, 2:57?am, cwdjrxyz > wrote: > > > > The wine is Heitz Cellar Napa Valley, Martha's Vineyard Cabernet > > > > Sauvignon 1976, bottled July 1980, bottle 13328 out of 17568 bottles & > > > > 1200 magnums, 13 1/2 % alcohol by volume. > > > > > > The wine was properly stored in one place since release in the early > > > > 1980s. There were no cork issues, and the fill was low neck. The wine > > > > is still dark with only little evidence of age around the rim. It > > > > still is holding very well and likely will do so for many more years, > > > > although it likely will not improve much more, if any. This was the > > > > 7th bottle out of a case, and I see no need to rush to drink the > > > > remaining 5 bottles. Heitz's Martha's Vineyard CSs were some of the > > > > best made in the Napa Valley in the 70s. Unlike many wines of the era, > > > > they were large, but not overly high in alcohol. Heitz had very > > > > definite opinions about how to cellar this wine, and it is no accident > > > > that it was not bottled until nearly 4 years old. > > > > > > I guess the most accurate description of this wine would be essence of > > > > Cabernet Sauvignon. Cassis is the main theme. There is cedar and the > > > > trademark eucalyptus note present in many Martha's Vineyard and a few > > > > other top Napa vineyard CSs. There is also a hint of a complex mixture > > > > of spice. The bouquet and taste are very intense, there is enough > > > > acid, and some smooth tannin remains. The balance is nearly perfect. > > > > > Thanks for the notes. ?I still have one bottle of 1974, 1976 and 1978 > > > left in my cellar. ?When last tasted the 1974 was getting tired. ?Glad > > > to hear that the '76 is still holding up. ?I once made the mistake of > > > commenting to Joe Heitz at an in-store tasting about the eucalyptus in > > > Martha's and he became enraged, he turned beet red and virtually > > > screamed at me.."Goddammit, eucalyptus smells like cat's **** and my > > > wine doesn't smell or taste like cat's ****!" ?The wine rep that was > > > driving him around told me later that the same thing had happened at > > > virtually every tasting that he had been to with Joe over the years. > > > FWIW, I still think it has an abundance of eucalyptus notes. > > > > I can't believe that Joe Heitz doesn't know what eucalyptus smells like > > but that is the smell of every Heitz Martha's Vineyard that I have ever > > tasted going back to 1976.- Hide quoted text - > > > > - Show quoted text - > > He knew what it smells like....he just didn't like the fact that his > wines smells like it! Well, then he should plant his grapes elsewhere, |
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