Heitz Martha

Got an email (and snailmail flier) today from Heitz. I really do like the Marthas and the Trailside wines I have had, bit they are wanting $225 for the recent Marthas vintage. Library vintages back to 2000 approach $400. I am like, come on - it’s good stuff but it’s not Monte Bello good, or Myriad Beckstoffer good…am I wrong?!

Worthy wine…but can get them(Older stuff) all day long at auction for 100-150! That’s why, although on their list, have never bought direct.

Thx! Good info, although purchasing from auctions in Texas is a bit cumbersome as well!

Personal preference needs to apply too.
Martha’s has it’s fans.

and former fans

I got 6 bottles of the 1990 at auction for $100 a bottle least year. Opened one so far and it was fine. Why pay that much for a current release when someone else will age it for me and I can get it cheaper.

I think Heitz Martha’s is not just one of the greatest wines in the US but in the world. It can more than hold its own versus any First Growth you want to name. But I have only had vintages from 1969-91 (save a small pour of I think '98 at the winery), and I have no idea if the replanted young vines have the same magic as the old ones did.

I think comparing Martha’s to Monte Bello is apples and oranges. I love both wines, but would definitely give the edge to Martha’s on having a distinct character and uniqueness.

+1.

Well, since the replanting of the Martha’s Vineyard due to Phylloxera the eucalyptus note is gone.

Drop a breath mint in an old bottle of Trailside and you’ll get the same effect for half the price.

JK. Martha’s is great but, like 99% of Napa, both overpriced and readily available on the secondary market, often for less. I can’t imagine why one would buy it at that price when you can buy something like R-M or Myriad for half the price. YMMV

So does anyone know when the vines were replanted?

The vineyard was replanted after the 1992 harvest and the next vintage released was the 1996.

The 96 was outstanding by the way.

A friend some time ago poured us a 70’s (can’t remember specific year) Marthas that had been opened for a day…that minty euculyptusy flavor was like a tube of toothpaste in its strength! Everyone loved it, but it was very distinctive/unique, easily stuck out among the older Napa Cabs.

Fascinating. I had always been led to believe that the eucalyptus note came from the trees that impart oils on the vines and grapes. If so, I wouldn’t expect that the vine replanting would impact the eucalyptus notes.

Has anyone else experienced the elimination of the eucalyptus?

My understanding (and I might be hopelessly wrong) is that when they replanted the vineyard they pulled out the eucalyptus tree as well!

Joe Heitz never liked the eucalyptus anyway. . .

I know but I certainly did.

Only wine I ever nailed double blind was a late-70s Heitz Martha’s, and it was the eucalyptus that gave me the answer.