Don’t let Martha steal the show!

Heitz Cellar has another darling blue chip right from the heart of Rutherford. In a cooler, earlier-picked vintage like 2017, it may even outlast its more famous counterpart, thanks to those long-chained, dusty Rutherford tannins. Located due north of Beckstoffer George III, it’s quite the ‘big boy’ for its little price today. We made piling up on a classic as easy as $123.

Did we mention the glowing but underrated 95-points yet?

Ripe, rich, smooth and complex, with deeply concentrated red currants, black cherries, dried herbs, and vanilla, along with a wonderful finish that keeps pumping out new flavors. Those tannins, while firm, are physiologically ripe, and supple for a wine this young. With some breathing, Trailside roars like a lion.

Under his mentor André ‘the Maestro’ Tchelistcheff’s guidance, Joe Heitz’s first harvest was in 1961, and up until 1965, he made one Cabernet from the best possible fruit he could source. One of those sources was a vineyard called Martha’s, and it stood out so much in the blend that in 1966, Heitz made history by starting the single vineyard labelled Cabernet revolution in Napa Valley. In 1984, Trailside joined the lineup and has since been a staple expression of the Heitz style, alongside Martha’s and Bella Oaks.

Per a recent Robb Report spotlight, this was one of the 7 best Rutherford picks, explaining that “The Trailside Vineyard is located on the east side of Rutherford at the base of the Vaca Mountain range. It is composed of volcanic soils with excellent drainage and gets a strong marine influence from the San Pablo Bay breezes. The 2017 has alluring aromas of ripe red fruit, dried rosemary, thyme, and freshly picked Bing cherries that easily morph into flavors of red raspberry, dried sage, and cassis. It is drinking beautifully right now, but don’t hesitate to lay it down for a decade or so.”

Eric Asimov of The New York Times sums this all up best: “The Heitz method of making Cabernet Sauvignon, with a premium on high acidity and low pH, runs counter to many cherished current beliefs about how great wine ought to be produced. Many Napa Cabernets might have been made with similar methods back in the 1970s. But today? Heitz is practically singular.”

You must experience this side by side with Martha’s, a geeky and informative study in terroir!

95 Points – Decanter “Fashionably fragrant, it leads with macerated Bing cherry, bay laurel, sage, and a subtle minty note. Medium-bodied, soft and long, with plush tannins and a beautiful vein of ironstone minerality. Finishes with fragrant brown spices and notes of walnut husk. Aged in upright casks for 20-36 months in 90-95% new French oak. Cool fermentations, early pressing and a long élevage is the recipe winemaker Brittany Sherwood follows. She says that Heitz uses a small amount of Limousine oak foudre, which typically requires longer ageing for better integration. Drink 2023-2035.”