1994 Heitz Wine Cellar Bella Oaks, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, USA

ABOUT THIS WINE

Bella Oaks Vineyard sits in the heart of Rutherford, on the western side of the Napa Valley beneath the Mayacamas Mountains. The site has a long history with Heitz: the winery began sourcing fruit from Bella Oaks in the 1970s, and the vineyard became particularly important to Heitz’s single-vineyard Cabernet program. The vineyard’s location is especially prized for its gravelly, well-drained soils and warm Rutherford climate, while its proximity to the Mayacamas allows for cooler nighttime temperatures that help preserve Cabernet’s acidity and aromatic character.

For Heitz, while they no longer source fruit from this vineyard, Bella Oaks has always represented a distinctive expression of Rutherford Cabernet: powerful and structured, yet elegant and perfumed, with the site’s combination of warmth, soils, and diurnal temperature shifts lending wines depth without sacrificing freshness. The vineyard became so closely linked with Heitz that Bella Oaks Cabernet developed a cult following among collectors.

This wine was part of a special, limited-release Legacy Collection pack hand-selected from the cellar by the winery.

"Designed for the distinguished Cabernet connoisseur or one who has begun building their cellar, the Legacy Collection will grant you access to rare, hand-selected older vintages from our wine library, accompanied by new release single-vineyard Cabernets."

As a mark of provenance, and adding to its distinction, this bottle remains sealed with wax and stamped with the Heitz emblem, a beautiful detail befitting a wine that has been carefully preserved and released directly from the source.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

Family owned since its founding in 1961, Heitz Cellar’s legacy runs as deep as the roots throughout the Napa Valley; a winery legend that has helped shape the history of Napa Valley winemaking. In the late 1950s, 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. Fifty-eight years of the Heitz family’s dedication to viticulture, stewardship, and classic winemaking maintained the winery’s notoriety as a benchmark amongst its peers in California and Europe.

In April 2018, Heitz Cellar entered an exciting new chapter as this rich legacy was passed 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. The wines are made with an unwavering commitment to quality from organically farmed, 100% Napa Valley fruit, and a commitment to the sustainability of Napa Valley.