Heitz Wine Cellars Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 (750ML)

Joe and Alice Heitz founded their Napa winery in 1961 and are credited with California’s first vineyard-designated Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2018 Martha’s Vineyard comes from the 34-acre site on Oakville’s western benchland, where a line of eucalyptus trees lends the wine its famous minty, balsamic streak. It is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, fermented with native yeasts by winemaker Brittany Sherwood in the year the Lawrence family bought the estate. A long, temperate season with no heat spikes brought full ripeness while holding on to acidity. Élevage ran five years: one in large neutral oak tanks, three in new Limousin barriques, one in bottle. The savory side of Martha’s is a little quieter this year, leaving black cherry, plum, lavender and rose petal up front, with gravelly spice, a mid-weight build and some visible oak. Rack of lamb, mushroom bourguignon or aged Gouda keep pace with it.