TN: 2005 Heitz Cab

Not my wine, a friend of a friend brought this over the other day. The wine had about 3 hours of air before drinking.

Here’s my note: Like drinking liquid candy…that is all.

But was it good QPR

Was this the base cab? or one of the bella/trailside cabs?

Nice rack?

Just the base cab. Beats me how winemakers can make wines in this style and I guess I expect more from a winery like Heitz.

Not sure about “more,” but I surely expected different. Heitz is one of those that has for years resisted the trend to “more of everything.” I’d be disappointed to hear that they had thrown over that principled stand

Had the 07’ recently, and while not particularly impressive I would’ve classified it as less ripe than average for Napa.

A “friend” showed up at your place with a young CA Cabernet? You better get back to Seattle asap.

Tom

I’ve got the same bottle at home. It sounds like drinking it is a bust and holding it is a recipe for disappointment. That sucks.

That’s a rather big departure from their signature style, if true

That would suck. I have the 07 and hope it is still “classic” Heitz. I seem to be running out of old school Napa to buy. Time to open one and see for myself.

Corison

I’ve had this wine a few times and would not classify it overly fruity, IMO it leans on the earthy side especially compared to other Napa cabs.

Tom,

I said a friend of a friend, no friend of mine would show up with this wine. [cheers.gif]

I’ve had many great wines from Heitz over the years but this wine is a clear departure from the old style that I really enjoyed. Sad.

Is it possible that it’s just an awkward stage, and that the Heitz style you are accustomed to is what they turn out to be after some age, as those you’ve had likely were on the older side, right?

Sure, it’s possible but the old Heitz was a softer wine than this monster and this 05 didn’t have a hint of eucalyptus which was a signature of the winery. I hate to say it but I think they added a bag of skittles to this wine.

Does that mean it’s time to dump Major Phil? [stirthepothal.gif]

Phil is showing up next week with the real stuff.

2007 Heitz?

Sure, it’s possible but the old Heitz was a softer wine than this monster and this 05 didn’t have a hint of eucalyptus which was a signature of the winery. I hate to say it but I think they added a bag of skittles to this wine.

I don’t remember the Heitz as a softer wine in days gone by. I actually remember them as quite a bit harder than the recent vintages that I have tasted. I always loved the flavor profile, but did not have an adequate cellar to keep them as long as they needed.

It is hard for me to tell if you are exaggerating for effect or not as I had the '05 Heitz Napa a month or so ago. Also decanted for 3 hours and consumed over another 1-1/2. While I would agree that the style appears to have changed somewhat, I would not be ( and am not in) any rush to drain those that remain in the cellar. The bottle that I had also lacked the distinctive mint/eucalyptus character of old vintages ('79/'80 anyway) and had more of a black cherry profile than the black currant that I was looking for, but it was not, in my opinion, “candied.” I found it full of fruit, a bit oaky yet, with good acid and enough of both fruit and tannin remaining to leave for a few more years.

A recent sample of the '07 (again the Heitz Napa Cab) had a similar profile, but was much more complex and promising. Perhaps more accessible now than the '05, but I am putting them down for 4-5 more years - on principle if nothing else. Heitz wines of days gone by only came into their own for me beginning at 10 years or so. Still, I will keep an eye on the reviews, just in case.

Tim