WTN: Heitz Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

Lockdown Wine # 77. Just a short note as I was pretty busy fixing dinner while drinking this. Popped and poured. Tannins already pretty soft. Didn't need decanting. Bordeaux-ish flavor at first, but plenty of sweet black fruit towards the finish. Still primary but quite a lovely drink. Could probably use a bit more time for added complexity. But if you like fruit, go for it.

Historically Martha's Vineyard was notable for a very strong eucalyptus character. Is that still the case?

-Paul W.

Hmmm. Didn't really notice that. I'll try to look out for that next time I open one.

Mint is a common word seen in tasting notes from Heitz Martha's Vineyard. The vineyard is surrounded by tall eucalyptus trees and it's conjectured that this is the source of the distinctive mintiness. I've never tasted HMV, but my palate is sensitive to eucalyptus aromas and flavors in wine, and I don't like it. I had coined the term "Sonoma stink" for the objectionable aroma profile because so many Sonoma wines seemed to be contaminated with it. It was when I visited Sonoma for the first time that I realized that Sonoma stink was the odor of eucalyptus. The trees and their smell are everywhere in the county.

Oddly enough, I haven't noticed Sonoma stink in Australian wines, despite gum trees being everywhere. Maybe it's a particular property of the blue gum, the most common eucalypt introduced into California from Australia in the 1850s.

-Paul W.