Heitz Cellar

Heitz Cellar was established in 1961 by Joe and Alice Heitz during one of Napa Valley's quietest periods, when roughly two dozen wineries remained in the region. Joe Heitz was a UC Davis-trained enologist, among the first seven graduates in viticulture and enology in 1951. He worked first at Gallo, then spent nearly a decade as assistant winemaker under Andre Tchelistcheff at Beaulieu Vineyard, before briefly teaching at California State University, Fresno. In 1961, the Heitzs purchased a small vineyard planted to Grignolino south of St. Helena and opened their own cellar. By 1964 they had acquired a historic 1898 stone winery on 160 acres in the Spring Valley area of St. Helena, which became the winery's production home. In 1963, a pivotal early move was purchasing barrels of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Hanzell Vineyards at auction, which Heitz blended successfully and sold at premium prices, funding further expansion.

• Joe Heitz earned bachelor's and master's degrees in viticulture and enology at UC Davis in 1951, among the program's first seven graduates
• Heitz worked nearly ten years as assistant winemaker under Andre Tchelistcheff at Beaulieu Vineyard before establishing his own label
• The 1961 purchase of an 8.5-acre Grignolino vineyard from Leon Brendel for $5,000 launched the winery; the 1964 acquisition of an 1898 stone winery on 160 acres in Spring Valley provided the production facility
• A strategy of paying growers what their fruit was worth, then pricing wines accordingly, distinguished Heitz from his era's commodity-focused peers

Heitz Cellar holds a central place in California wine history as the creator of Napa Valley's first vineyard-designated wine. By separately bottling and labeling the 1966 vintage from Tom and Martha May's Oakville site, Joe Heitz pioneered a practice that would become foundational to the region's identity and to American fine wine culture broadly. Warren Winiarski, founder of Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, described Heitz as the first of the Napa Valley artisans and the first to grasp the single vineyard concept. The 1968 Martha's Vineyard was widely considered the greatest wine made in America at the time, with critic Frank J. Prial calling it the benchmark by which California Cabernets were judged for more than two decades. The winery's inclusion in the famous 1976 Judgment of Paris tasting underscored its standing on an international stage. In 1982, President Ronald Reagan served the 1974 Martha's Vineyard at a state dinner at the American Embassy in Paris.

• The 1966 Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is recognized as Napa Valley's first vineyard-designated wine, a practice that shaped the entire California fine wine industry
• The 1968 Martha's Vineyard was widely regarded as the greatest wine made in America to that point, setting a benchmark for California Cabernet that lasted more than two decades
• Warren Winiarski credited Heitz as the first Napa Valley winemaker to price wines by grape origin and site, a model now universal in premium wine production
• President Reagan served the 1974 Martha's Vineyard at the 1982 American Embassy state dinner in Paris, confirming the wine's international prestige

Heitz Cellar produces three vineyard-designated Cabernet Sauvignons, each sourced from distinct Napa Valley sites. Martha's Vineyard is a 34-acre site owned by Tom and Martha May in the Oakville AVA, situated on a gentle slope at the foot of the Mayacamas Mountains on the western side of the valley. The vineyard receives morning sun but is sheltered from intense afternoon heat, allowing longer hang time and flavor concentration. Surrounding eucalyptus trees are widely cited as contributing to the wine's signature mint and bay leaf aromatics. Trailside Vineyard in Rutherford was purchased by the estate in 1984 and first released as a single-vineyard bottling from the 1989 vintage. Bella Oaks Vineyard, an 18-acre Rutherford site, has been under exclusive agreement with Barney and Belle Rhodes since 1976, providing a wines of rounder, more approachable structure.

• Martha's Vineyard = 34-acre Oakville AVA site owned by the May family; sheltered western valley exposure; distinctive mint, bay leaf, dark berry, and eucalyptus aromatics attributed in part to surrounding eucalyptus trees
• Trailside Vineyard in Rutherford was estate-purchased in 1984 and introduced as a separate bottling from the 1989 vintage; offers darker, spice-forward Rutherford character
• Bella Oaks Vineyard = 18-acre Rutherford site under exclusive agreement with Barney and Belle Rhodes since 1976; produces wines of rounder structure between Martha's Vineyard and Trailside in style
• All estate vineyards span six Napa Valley appellations: Oakville, Rutherford, St. Helena, Howell Mountain, Oak Knoll District, and Calistoga, certified CCOF organic

The winemaking approach at Heitz Cellar has remained remarkably consistent since Joe Heitz established it. Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is fermented in stainless steel tanks, then aged one year in large, neutral American oak tanks before being transferred to 100% new French Limousin oak wide-grain barrels for three additional years. After bottling, the wine continues to mature for one more year before release, giving a total of five years of aging before reaching consumers. A notable technical distinction is that Heitz Cabernets do not undergo malolactic fermentation, which is highly unusual for Napa Valley and is believed to contribute to the wines' exceptional longevity. There have been only three winemakers in the estate's history: Joe Heitz, his son David (who took over in the late 1970s), and Brittany Sherwood, who joined in 2012 and became Director of Winemaking in 2018.

• Fermentation in stainless steel followed by one year in large neutral American oak tanks, then three years in 100% new French Limousin oak barrels; then one year in bottle before release, totaling five years of aging
• Heitz Cabernets do not undergo malolactic fermentation, a rare practice in Napa Valley widely credited for the wines' extraordinary capacity to age
• Only three winemakers in the estate's history: Joe Heitz, David Heitz (from the late 1970s), and Brittany Sherwood (Director of Winemaking since 2018)
• All fruit sourced from 100% CCOF-certified organic vineyards; the estate also participates in the Fish Friendly Farming program

Heitz Cellar's Martha's Vineyard Cabernets from the 1960s through 1980s are among the most historically significant and collectible California wines ever produced. The 1968 vintage set the earliest benchmark, and the 1974 was named among the top 100 wines of the world and served at a presidential state dinner. Due to phylloxera, no Martha's Vineyard was produced in 1993, 1994, or 1995, making pre-phylloxera vintages particularly prized. The 2014 Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon received a perfect 100-point score from Wine Enthusiast. The winery's distinctive winemaking protocol, including the avoidance of malolactic fermentation and extended oak aging, produces wines with the structure to develop for 25 years or more.

• The 1968, 1970, 1974, and 1985 vintages of Martha's Vineyard are considered the most celebrated; the 1974 was named among the world's top 100 wines and served at a 1982 presidential state dinner in Paris
• No Martha's Vineyard was produced in 1993, 1994, or 1995 due to phylloxera replanting; no Bella Oaks was made in 1991 or 1992 due to eutypa disease
• The 2014 Martha's Vineyard received 100 points from Wine Enthusiast, confirming the wine's continuing relevance under successor winemakers
• The absence of malolactic fermentation and extended oak aging give these wines exceptional longevity, with top vintages capable of rewarding 25 or more years of cellaring

In April 2018, after 57 years of Heitz family ownership, the winery was acquired by Gaylon Lawrence Jr., a Tennessee-based agricultural businessman whose family owns farmland across Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Illinois, and Florida, along with banking and other enterprises. The acquisition included over 400 acres of vineyards, the Spring Valley production winery, and the St. Helena tasting room. Lawrence partnered with Master Sommelier Carlton McCoy, who serves as CEO and Managing Partner of Lawrence Wine Estates, the group that now also owns Burgess Cellars, Stony Hill Vineyard, and Chateau Lascombes in Margaux. Under the new ownership, production was reduced from over 50,000 cases to sharply focus on the estate's finest single-vineyard wines. Brittany Sherwood continues as Director of Winemaking, maintaining the classical Heitz approach while benefiting from new cellar technology.

• Acquisition by Gaylon Lawrence Jr. closed April 18, 2018; the sale included over 400 acres of vineyards across multiple Napa appellations
• Carlton McCoy MS serves as CEO and Managing Partner of Lawrence Wine Estates, overseeing Heitz alongside Burgess Cellars, Stony Hill Vineyard, and Chateau Lascombes
• Production was reduced from over 50,000 cases at time of sale to approximately 25,000 cases, refocusing on age-worthy single-vineyard Cabernets
• The May family continues supplying Martha's Vineyard fruit under the long-standing exclusive agreement, with no changes to the fruit sourcing relationship following the ownership transition