"Founded in 1961, Heitz Cellar is a Napa Valley legend that has helped shape the history of Napa winemaking. Pioneering vintner Joe Heitz ushered in Napa’s modern era with his iconic, globally celebrated wines—including Napa Valley’s first vineyard-designated Cabernet Sauvignon, the renowned Heitz Cellar Martha’s Vineyard. In 2018, the winery entered an exciting new chapter as the Heitz family passed this rich legacy into the hands of the Lawrence family, whose deep roots in agriculture and commitment to the same core values of fine winemaking made it a perfect match.
When Joe and Alice Heitz founded Heitz Cellar, fewer than a dozen wineries called Napa Valley home; it was, in Joe’s words, “asleep.” At the time, the belief that Napa Valley could become a globally recognized wine region had yet to take root, and creating a winery in the area was still considered a risk. In 1951, Joe had earned his master’s degree in Enology from UC Davis and was working hard to hone his skills. He caught the eye of revered winemaker André Tchelistcheff at Napa Valley’s historic Beaulieu Vineyard and became his right-hand man. Ten years later in 1961, Joe and Alice purchased their first property: an eight-acre vineyard south of St. Helena in Napa Valley. Working out of the small winery attached to the parcel, they worked around the clock to build their business. By 1964, Joe and Alice had discovered 160 acres in a small pocket of St. Helena on the east side of Napa Valley known as Spring Valley, where Joe sharpened his focus on Cabernet Sauvignon.
When Tom and Martha May bought their Oakville home and vineyard in 1963, the previous owner left them two bottles of Heitz Cellar wine as a gift. Impressed with the wine, they decided to visit Heitz Cellar, where they purchased more. Soon a friendship grew between the two couples that marked the beginning of one of the most important relationships in the winemaking industry. In 1965, visiting what Tom had impishly named “Martha’s Vineyard” after his wife, Joe admired the quality of Tom’s first harvest of Cabernet Sauvignon and offered to buy all of the grapes. The two shook hands and the deal was done—and the rest, as they say, is history. The wine Joe made from that fruit so impressed him that in 1966, he and Tom decided to recognize this amazing vineyard by putting the actual vineyard name on the bottle. Napa Valley’s first vineyard designated Cabernet Sauvignon was born, long before American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) existed. Half a century later, Heitz Cellar Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon continues to garner acclaim and admiration. Second-generation Richard May and Laura May Everett approach the farming of Martha's Vineyard—which was one of Napa’s first organically farmed ranches—with devotion to the preservation of the extraordinary land that is their heritage. And the May family’s exclusive arrangement with Heitz Cellar continues to this day." -HeitzCellar.com
*All Sales are final on all Old Vintage and Rare wines, such as these wines from Heitz Cellars.
For more on our return policy: https://encinitas.meritagewinemarket.com/returnpolicy
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