Heitz Vertical

"Alice was a real bitch."

The host of one of my wine groups in San Francisco has been exploring, drinking, and collecting wine in Northern California since he was an undergraduate at Davis in the 60s. Indeed, most of this group (I'm relatively young) have benefited from going to college, medical school, and establishing their practices in the Bay Area when California wine was a bargain compared to what it costs today. Not just a bargain, but came with easy access. It's clear from the discussion that in the 1960s and 70s, if you visited a winery in Napa you had much greater access to the main winemakers themselves. Several of the guests had stories of Joe and Alice Heitz (some memories of Alica not so fond). A generous discussion of Joe being a "self made man", compared to vineyard and winery owners today, and all of the good and bad that came along with that.

The wine was a revelation. I do not like California cabernet that is made today. Too much cherry, too much oak, too much alcohol. Too much of everything. Like many in my generation, the boldness of many Napa wines has driven me entirely away from that valley. I gravitate toward wines in the 12-14% range and prefer gamay, cab franc, pinot, and (personally) syrah. But the lightness and balance of all of these wines made me realize why many people look back fondly on this era of California cabs. Indeed, several of the guests discussed how these wines reminded them of how California cabs tasted prior to the arms race in richness and alcohol that started in the late 1970s. If California cabs today tasted like this (and were more price accesible), they would be in my daily drinking rotation.

Some simple notes below, followed by tasting notes.

• tasting this vertical made me question assertions of "that was a good year for [region] vs. bad year for that [region]". Each of these wines, aside from one that was corked, tasted equally good. Nothing was wrong with any and no one was lesser than the other in comparison. Indeed, it came down to taste preferences. A couple still retained a bit more tanic notes, aside from that the group all agreed that they all tasted quite similar. These bottles spanned vintages, some which were historically "good" and some that have been regarded as "bad." And, according to the production information on each bottle, they didn't cut back on production during bad years. Good winemaking overcomes difficult years? Difficult years don't impact choice properties?

• Heitz is known for a minty/herby/eucalyptus note. This was still present in several (82, 83, 85). It reminded me of the pyrazines you find in cab franc. They claim this is due to the eucalyptus trees that span the property. With advances in our understanding of how soil actually impacts flavors in wine compared to how people used to think it did, I wonder if this is actually the case. The host noted that those notes were much more present when he opened the bottles approximately 2 hours prior to tasting.

• The host double decanted and returned to the bottle. This seemed excessive to me.

• The appearance of these wines in glass belied their age. No brown edges, no brick. They looked as young as could be. Similar, none tasted old. All primaries still.

• I'll seek out more California cabs from this era and will be curious to see if they age as well. Not one of these wines showed any age at all. I was shocked by that. They all showed clear primary fruits, some retained a decent amount of tannins.

Tasting notes:
1979: Medium orange carmine color. Older California Cabernet nose with cedar, black currant, and esters. Not minty. This is a very fine, mouth filling wine offering more to the taste than the nose promised. Medium full body with alcohol noticeable, moderate in acidity and tannins. There is a plummy taste to the finish.
1981: Light medium carmine-orange color. An older wine in the nose with esters and a slight mintiness that refreshes a bit. A lovely, balanced and silky wine. Medium in body and tannins, with a refreshing acidity.
1982: Light carmine orange color. Somewhat distant but lovely bouquet. A floral mintiness comes out, but then fades. There is some richness and fullness to the wine, but at the same time it comes off on the palate as a bit flabby. Medium body, light medium acidity and tannins.
1983: Light medium carmine orange color. Nose is old, estery, and has a bit of a strawberry eau de vie character. On the palate—older, cedary, and tart. Light medium in body and tannin, moderate acidity
1984: Light medium garnet with a pink-orange rim. Light mintiness present. This is still a lively wine with quite pleasant flavors and a very slightly sweet sensation. Light medium body, medium full tannins, and very good acidity still gives it oomph.
1985: Light medium carmine with a pink-orange rim. Slight peppermint nose tainted by mold. On the palate thinner and not well balanced, with a sharp edge. Light medium in body and tannin, with medium full acidity.
1986: Medium garnet with a pink edge. Noticeable mint in both nose and flavors. Not overly complex, but a very delightful soft and silky wine. Medium full in body, moderate acidity, and medium full tannins. Definitely one of the younger wines tonight.
1987: Light medium garnet with a pink orange rim. This wine has a lovely nose in the riper style, with blackberry, currant, and mint. On the palate there are soft black fruits. Moderate in body, with medium full tannins and light medium acidity. The finish is tannic, fitting for being the youngest wine of the evening and suggesting it will hold for a few more years.