Heitz Cellar

Heitz Cellar was founded in 1961 by Joe and Alice Heitz, who purchased a small vineyard and winery of about 8.5 acres just south of St. Helena from Leon Brendel, an elderly grower who had been the first winemaker at Freemark Abbey; the property later became the winery's tasting room. Brendel had grown and made only one wine there, the Piedmontese variety Grignolino, and Heitz continued producing it for decades under the terms of the sale. Joe Heitz trained at UC Davis, earning a bachelor's degree in enology in 1948 and a master's degree in 1951, one of seven students in UC Davis's first graduating class of enologists, and came to the Napa Valley after working for Gallo and then spending several years at Beaulieu Vineyard under André Tchelistcheff. Just before starting his own winery, he helped establish the enology program at Fresno State College. In 1964 the Heitzes purchased a larger property in the eastern hills of St. Helena known as Spring Valley, centered on a stone cellar built in 1898 and totaling about 160 acres; it became the winery's production home, today branded The Home Ranch. Heitz's earliest bottlings were not estate wines but purchased Cabernet Sauvignon from the Christian Brothers winery, plus a 1959 Pinot Noir and subsequent Chardonnay vintages sourced from Hanzell Vineyards in Sonoma.

• Founded 1961 when Joe and Alice Heitz purchased an 8.5-acre vineyard south of St. Helena from grower Leon Brendel, the former first winemaker at Freemark Abbey
• Joe Heitz earned a bachelor's degree in enology from UC Davis in 1948 and a master's degree in 1951, one of seven students in UC Davis's first graduating class of enologists; he then worked for Gallo before spending several years at Beaulieu Vineyard under André Tchelistcheff
• In 1964 the Heitzes acquired a roughly 160-acre property in St. Helena's Spring Valley area, centered on a stone cellar built in 1898, which became the winery's production home (now branded The Home Ranch)
• The Brendel property came with a contractual obligation to keep making Grignolino, the sole wine grown there by its previous owner

Heitz Cellar holds a central place in California wine history as the creator of Napa Valley's first vineyard-designated wine. After buying Cabernet Sauvignon fruit from Oakville neighbors Tom and Martha May beginning in 1965, Joe Heitz separated their fruit from his other lots the following year and put the vineyard's name on the front label, launching Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon with the 1966 vintage. Warren Winiarski of Stag's Leap Wine Cellars called Heitz "the first of the artisans" and said he was "one of the first...to grasp the single vineyard concept." Wine Spectator has written that the 1968, 1969, 1970 and 1974 vintages are considered among the finest wines of that era. The 1970 Martha's Vineyard was among the California entrants in the 1976 Judgment of Paris blind tasting in France, and in 1982 President Ronald Reagan brought the 1974 Martha's Vineyard to a state dinner at the American Embassy in Paris. Due to phylloxera, no Martha's Vineyard was produced in 1993, 1994 or 1995 while the vineyard was replanted. The 2014 Martha's Vineyard was awarded 100 points by Virginie Boone of Wine Enthusiast.

• The 1966 Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is recognized as Napa Valley's first vineyard-designated wine
• "He was the first of the artisans...one of the first...to grasp the single vineyard concept," said Warren Winiarski of Stag's Leap Wine Cellars
• The 1970 Martha's Vineyard was entered in the 1976 Judgment of Paris blind tasting; the 1974 vintage was served by President Reagan at a 1982 state dinner at the American Embassy in Paris
• No Martha's Vineyard was produced in 1993, 1994 or 1995 due to phylloxera replanting; the 2014 vintage received a 100-point score from Wine Enthusiast's Virginie Boone

Heitz Cellar produces three current single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons, each from a distinct Napa Valley site. Martha's Vineyard is a 34-acre parcel on the Oakville bench along the western side of the valley, tucked against the Mayacamas Mountains; gentle morning and early-afternoon sun, sheltered from late-afternoon heat, allows extended hang time on a proprietary cabernet clone the winery calls Martha's Clone. Winemaker Brittany Sherwood has described the site's "unique mint, bay leaf, dark berry and chocolate notes." The vineyard is overseen today by Tom and Martha May's daughter, Laura May Everett; in 2025, for the first time in more than 50 years, Martha's Vineyard fruit also became available to other producers, including TOR and Gemstone. Trailside Vineyard, along Silverado Trail and Conn Creek in Rutherford, has been part of the Heitz estate since 1984; it comprises sixteen blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon across eighty-five acres, planted with seven clones over eight soil types. Linda Falls Vineyard, on Howell Mountain near the Linda Falls Preserve, was planted to Cabernet Sauvignon in 2002 and introduced as its own bottling in 2013, becoming the third of Heitz's single-vineyard wines; the roughly seven-acre site sits at an average elevation of about 1,500 feet in well-drained volcanic soil. Heitz also produced a Bella Oaks Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from 1976 through 2007, sourced from a vineyard owned by Belle and Barney Rhodes and never owned by Heitz itself; the arrangement ended in 2007 when Staglin Family Vineyard bought the property, and Bella Oaks is no longer part of the current lineup. All estate vineyards, spanning six Napa Valley sub-appellations (Oakville, Rutherford, St. Helena, Howell Mountain, Oak Knoll District and Calistoga), are certified organic by CCOF and enrolled in the Fish Friendly Farming program.

• Martha's Vineyard: 34-acre Oakville site tucked against the Mayacamas Mountains, overseen today by Laura May Everett; minty, bay leaf, dark berry and chocolate notes come from a proprietary clone the winery calls Martha's Clone
• Trailside Vineyard, Rutherford: part of the Heitz estate since 1984; sixteen blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon across eighty-five acres, seven clones and eight soil types
• Linda Falls Vineyard, Howell Mountain: planted 2002, introduced as its own bottling in 2013; about seven acres at roughly 1,500 feet in well-drained volcanic soil
• Bella Oaks Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from a vineyard owned by Belle and Barney Rhodes (never owned by Heitz), was produced 1976 through 2007; the arrangement ended when Staglin Family Vineyard bought the property in 2007
• All estate vineyards span six Napa Valley sub-appellations (Oakville, Rutherford, St. Helena, Howell Mountain, Oak Knoll District and Calistoga), all certified CCOF organic and enrolled in Fish Friendly Farming

The estate's winemakers have included founder Joe Heitz; his son David Heitz, who joined the family business in 1974 with a new enology degree from UC Davis and formally became winemaker in the 1990s; and Brittany Sherwood, who joined Heitz Cellar as a harvest intern in 2012 after international winemaking internships and her own UC Davis training. Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon spends a year in neutral oak tanks after fermentation before moving to 100 percent new French Limousin oak barrels for three more years, then a further year in bottle before release, a five-year process. Trailside Vineyard is fermented and aged block by block, then moved into 100 percent new French Limousin oak where each lot is tasted and evaluated for two years before the best barrels are blended and aged a further year, for a total of four years in oak before bottling. Linda Falls Vineyard spends a year in neutral American oak tanks followed by two years in new tight-grain French oak, a three-year barrel regime suited to its firmer Howell Mountain tannins. Lot C-91, the estate's historic blended cuvée, is sourced from parcels in western Oakville, eastern Rutherford, southeast Howell Mountain and the foothills of St. Helena, and is aged nine months in a combination of large neutral casks and new and used French oak. All estate fruit is farmed sustainably and certified organic by CCOF.

• Winemakers have included founder Joe Heitz, his son David Heitz (joined 1974 with an enology degree from UC Davis) and Brittany Sherwood (joined 2012, now Director of Winemaking)
• Martha's Vineyard: one year in neutral oak tanks, three years in 100 percent new French Limousin oak, one year in bottle before release, five years total
• Trailside Vineyard: fermented and aged separately by block, two years evaluating lots in new French Limousin oak, one more year blended in barrel, four years in oak total
• Linda Falls Vineyard: one year in neutral American oak tanks, two years in new tight-grain French oak
• Lot C-91: sourced from western Oakville, eastern Rutherford, southeast Howell Mountain and the St. Helena foothills; aged nine months in large neutral casks and new and used French oak

After 57 years of Heitz family ownership, the winery was sold in April 2018 to Nashville-based businessman Gaylon Lawrence Jr.; the sale included about 425 acres of vineyards, the Home Ranch production winery on Taplin Road and the St. Helena tasting room on Highway 29. This was Lawrence's first Napa Valley purchase, and the parent company, Lawrence Wine Estates, has since built a portfolio that also includes Burgess, Stony Hill Vineyard and Ink Grade in Napa Valley and Château Lascombes, a Margaux second growth, in Bordeaux. Master Sommelier Carlton McCoy Jr. leads the company as CEO. At Heitz, Brittany Sherwood continues as Director of Winemaking and Erik Elliott serves as Estate Director. Heitz Cellar today owns approximately 525 acres, of which about 425 are planted to vines, and produces roughly 38,000 cases a year; the estate transitioned its vineyards to fully biodynamic farming in 2019 and 2020, in addition to its long-standing CCOF organic certification.

• Sale to Gaylon Lawrence Jr. closed in April 2018; the deal included about 425 acres of vineyards, the Home Ranch winery and the St. Helena tasting room, Lawrence's first Napa Valley purchase
• Lawrence Wine Estates' portfolio has grown to include Burgess, Stony Hill Vineyard and Ink Grade in Napa Valley and Château Lascombes in Margaux, Bordeaux, with Master Sommelier Carlton McCoy Jr. as CEO
• Brittany Sherwood continues as Director of Winemaking; Erik Elliott serves as Estate Director
• Heitz Cellar owns approximately 525 acres today (about 425 planted) and produces roughly 38,000 cases a year; vineyards transitioned to fully biodynamic farming in 2019 and 2020 alongside CCOF organic certification

Primary sources (producer's own site): https://heitzcellar.com/, https://heitzcellar.com/about/, https://heitzcellar.com/people/, https://heitzcellar.com/vintages/, https://heitzcellar.com/visit/heitz-cellar-estate/, https://heitzcellar.com/purchase-2/marthas-vineyard-cabernet-sauvignon-oakville-napa-valley/, https://heitzcellar.com/purchase-2/trailside-vineyard-cabernet-sauvignon-rutherford-napa-valley/, https://heitzcellar.com/purchase-2/linda-falls-vineyard-cabernet-sauvignon-howell-mountain-napa-valley/, https://heitzcellar.com/purchase-2/2016-lot-c-91/, https://heitzcellar.com/event/the-making-of-a-100-point-wine-a-napa-cab-of-substance-by-wine-enthusiast/. Secondary sources: The Napa Wine Project, Napa Valley Register (January 2001), Wine Spectator (December 18, 2000), San Francisco Chronicle (April 30, 2025), PR Newswire/Lawrence Wine Estates (October 31, 2022), Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Judgment of Paris retrospective, Grape Collective. Last verified 2026-09-09. Where the producer's site and a secondary source disagree, the producer's site governs.