Heitz Martha

WINE TALK
21

I would disagree that the eucalyptus is gone, I had the 98’ recently and you could pick it up from across the room. I don’t know what it comes from, but I’ve seen it in other wines as well (Ravenswood Teldeschi Vyd Zin for one), just never as well balanced or delicious as it is in the Martha’s.

22

Thelema “The Mint” also has it.

23

1987 Johnson Turnbull Selection 67 is something I would love to taste again (for the mint).

24

The line of eucalyptus trees are gone, and the oils from the trees sticking to the grapes impart the minty-ness, not the vines or soil.

25

The “eucalyptus/mint” notes are not gone. I tasted the 2008 last year; the classic minty-ness was definitely present.

26

I’ve tasted a couple of recent releases and they were VERY strong on the eucalyptus. Does this integrate with time? I didn’t like what I tasted because I thought that one note overwhelmed the wine.

27

Uh, so most people think the bottles from the 70s and 80s are in the handful - like, top 5 - best CA cabs from their respective vintages. I’d say that’s a good indication that it integrates.

28

Mine are all gone.

29

And folks - it’s February! Heitz pours their new Martha’s at their tasting room during the month of February. At least they have, traditionally. If I recall accurately, they have a longer than typical in-barrel, and then keep it in bottle for longer than most before they release it. I am going to say this will be the release of the 2010. Trailside I think is even a bit later - I loved their 2007 and bought it twice.

30

Well, that’s a non sequitur. Whether or not the eucalyptus/mint note integrates has nothing logically to do with whether people think the wine is great. Lot’s of people treasure the Martha’s for that unique eucalyptus/mint note – it may just be that Doug isn’t one of them.

Of course, it depends on what Doug means exactly by integrate. I’m not a Martha’s expert, but I don’t really think it integrates that much in terms of declining in prominence relative to other aromas. I had a bottle of the 91 in 2011 – so a 20-year-old wine – and the eucalyptus was probably the most noticeable aroma on the nose. The oldest bottle I’ve had is an 82 (last year), and the eucalyptus was still very detectable, although I wouldn’t say it was as dominant. Looking at the cellartracker notes for the 1974, mint and eucalyptus show up in just about every recent note, usually right at the front.

31

Thanks, Jay, for both parts of your response. You beat me to it with the first part; David’s response was completely illogical and thus pointless. I’ve known people to say Martha’s isn’t for them at any age because of that one note. I suspect I’d be in that group too, but I haven’t had an older one, and I was curious as to whether or not it becomes less prevalent. It sounds like it doesn’t, at least not significantly.

32

I’ve had it from two separate periods, mid-80s (a friend’s stache) and late 90s/01 (my purchases), and all but one of these (a 1996, which was killer) was within the last 3 years.

I noted some eucalyptus on the 80s versions, even 25+ years in, but none on comparatively younger 96s, 99s and 01s. I like that note in Martha’s, but not in all Napa cabs. The 85 Martha’s remains the best wine I’ve ever had, and the 87 is not far behind.

Anyway, the price was hovering $140-160 for a long time, and you could get some great deals on older ones, until the 2007 came out a couple years back and got ratcheted up.

Same thing happened with Dominus. It’s too bad, though complaining about such things is the height of a 1st World Problem. Plenty of other stuff out there.

33

But wait…isn’t this why we all come to WB in the first place?

newhere [smileyvault-ban.gif]

34

I far prefer the Trailside because it isn’t so minty.