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 André Tchelistcheff at Beaulieu Vineyard, before briefly teaching at California State University, Fresno. In 1961, the Heitzes purchased a small vineyard planted to Grignolino south of St. Helena from Leon Brendel for $5,000 and opened their own cellar. By 1964 they had acquired a historic 1898 stone winery on 160 acres in the Spring Valley area east 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 André 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 1970 Martha's Vineyard was included in the 1976 Judgment of Paris tasting, and in 1982 President Ronald Reagan served the 1974 Martha's Vineyard at a state dinner at the American Embassy in Paris. Martha's Vineyard Cabernets from the 1960s through 1980s are among the most historically significant and collectible California wines ever produced. 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 received a perfect 100-point score from Wine Enthusiast. The avoidance of malolactic fermentation and extended oak aging give these wines the structure to develop for 25 years or more.

• 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, 1970, 1974, and 1985 vintages are the most celebrated; the 1974 was served at President Reagan's 1982 state dinner at the American Embassy 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; the absence of malolactic fermentation and extended oak aging support 25-plus years of cellaring

Heitz Cellar produces three historic vineyard-designated Cabernet Sauvignons, each sourced from distinct Napa Valley sites. Martha's Vineyard is a 34-acre site in the Oakville AVA established by Tom and Martha May and now run by their daughter, proprietor Laura May Everett, 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 long 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 is a Rutherford site planted in 1973 by Belle and Barney Rhodes to 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon on Joe Heitz's recommendation; Heitz purchased the fruit exclusively from 1976, with the last Heitz Bella Oaks vintage produced in 2007 (the property was acquired by Suzanne Deal Booth in 2010).

• Martha's Vineyard: 34-acre Oakville AVA site established by Tom and Martha May, now run by their daughter Laura May Everett; sheltered western valley exposure; distinctive mint, bay leaf, dark berry, and eucalyptus aromatics attributed in part to surrounding eucalyptus trees
• Trailside Vineyard in Rutherford: estate-purchased 1984, introduced as a separate bottling from the 1989 vintage; offers darker, spice-forward Rutherford character
• Bella Oaks: Rutherford vineyard planted in 1973 by Belle and Barney Rhodes to 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon on Joe Heitz's recommendation; under exclusive agreement with Heitz from 1976 through 2007 (Suzanne Deal Booth acquired the property in 2010)
• All estate vineyards span six Napa Valley appellations: Oakville, Rutherford, St. Helena, Howell Mountain, Oak Knoll District, and Calistoga, all 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 percent 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 Heitz (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 percent 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 percent CCOF-certified organic vineyards; the estate also participates in the Fish Friendly Farming program

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 Château Lascombes in Margaux. Under the new ownership, production was reduced from over 50,000 cases to approximately 38,000 cases, refocusing 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 Château Lascombes
• Production was reduced from over 50,000 cases at the time of sale to approximately 38,000 cases, refocusing on age-worthy single-vineyard Cabernets
• Martha's Vineyard, established by Tom and Martha May and now run by their daughter Laura May Everett, supplied Heitz under a long-standing arrangement; that decades-long exclusive ended in 2025, and the fruit is now available to other producers as well. Heitz's last Bella Oaks vintage was 2007 (Suzanne Deal Booth acquired the Bella Oaks property in 2010)