Demeine Estates • Heitz Cellar

Rosette Media
Jun 23
6 min read

Updated: Jun 30

Demeine Estates, located in the heart of Napa Valley, California, is a family-owned company specializing in the production, importation, and marketing of the world’s finest wines. As a leader in the U.S. luxury wine market, Demeine Estates excels in outstanding marketing, fine wine sales, and distribution services.

Founded by The Lawrence family and Carlton McCoy Jr., MS, and led by President Philana Bouvier, the company offers a curated portfolio of premium family-owned domestic and international producers known for exceptional wines rooted in quality viticulture.

At Rosette Media, we had the opportunity to sample and taste a variety of their distinguished wines from Demeine Estates hailing from different wineries and hills, ranging from Burgess, Stony Hill, Ink Grade, Trailside Vineyard and Heitz Cellar, and we took particular interest for Heitz Cellar when we met with Philana along the auspices of the TFWA 2025 show in Singapore, and also attended a lovely wine pairing dinner hosted by the folks from Water and Wine, https://waterandwine.net/ together with the entourage from the Singapore Chapter of The International Wine & Food Society https://www.iwfs.org/asia-pacific/singapore

Heitz Cellar

“Heitz Martha’s Vineyard is one of Napa’s iconic bottlings; the 1974 counts among the greatest wines in Napa history.” – James Molesworth, Wine Spectator. Since its establishment in 1961, Heitz Cellar has been family-owned, establishing a profound legacy. It is regarded as a legendary winery, significantly influencing the history of winemaking in Napa Valley.

In the late 1950s, visionary vintner Joe Heitz initiated Napa's modern era with his iconic, globally acclaimed pure varietal, single-vineyard wines known for their longevity, including Napa Valley's first vineyard-designated Cabernet Sauvignon, the famed Heitz Cellar Martha’s Vineyard. The Heitz family's 60-year dedication to viticulture, stewardship, and timeless post-prohibition style winemaking has sustained the winery's reputation as a benchmark among its peers in California and Europe.

In April 2018, Heitz Cellar embarked on an exciting new chapter as this rich legacy was entrusted to the Lawrence family, whose strong agricultural roots and commitment to the same core values of fine winemaking made them an ideal fit. Brittany Sherwood, Director of Winemaking, who has been with Heitz Cellar for over 13 years, continues to produce wines with unwavering dedication to quality using organically farmed, 100% Napa Valley fruit, and a commitment to Napa Valley's sustainability.

Heitz Cellar boasts prized estate vineyards located in six of Napa Valley’s sub-appellations: Oakville, Rutherford, St. Helena, Howell Mountain, Oak Knoll District, and Calistoga. This diversity in terroir allows for the creation of wines that truly represent their place of origin. As a proud leader in agricultural stewardship, 100% of the vineyards at Heitz Cellar are certified CCOF organic and farmed using biodynamic practices. At Heitz Cellar, they cherish their history and legacy with a full commitment to their vision and goals to maintain the winery’s heritage.

We showcase 3 of their distinctive wines from Heitz Cellar as we sampled them at TFWA and at the IWFS Dinner in Singapore.

Martha's Vineyard

Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville, Napa Valley

Since 1966, Heitz Cellar has been producing the renowned Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, one of our three vineyard-designated Cabernet Sauvignons. Concealed from view and nestled within the Oakville bench on the western side of Napa Valley is the cherished thirty-four-acre plot, aptly named Martha’s Vineyard. The exclusive cabernet “Martha’s Clone” is celebrated for its small berries with a deep purple color, rich flavor, and distinctive minty aroma.

During aging, only the finest barrels from the vineyard are chosen and bottled as our Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. After fermentation, the wine spends a year in neutral oak tanks to settle and refine. It is then transferred to hand-selected, 100% new French Limousin oak wide-grain barrels, allowing a slow and gentle integration of the toast and vanilla notes from the barrel to blend with the wine. Three years later, Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet is ready for bottling, where it continues to mature gracefully for an additional year before being released from the cellar.

A wine of balance and unique, almost mysterious qualities, Martha’s Vineyard is their flagship wine and a true Napa Valley icon. The 2018 vintage is bursting with blackberry, plum and slight cherry notes, with nuances of mint and cassis; the colour is strong, full bodied, rich and very smooth, elegant, velvety, intense yet soft and an outstanding long finish; Rosette Media Rating : 97/100

Lot C-91

Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

The story of Lot C-91 started in the fall of 1969 with the concept that by carefully selecting and assembling sites, we could create something greater than its individual components. This historic cuvée is exclusively sourced from the esteemed single vineyards of Heitz Cellar, highlighting a truly unique expression of Napa Valley's terroir. “Lot C-91 is the culmination of 50 years of tireless effort, trial and error, and the continual desire to make a most unique expression of the heralded vineyards of Heitz Cellar. We are honored to re-release this cuvée, in honor of Joe Heitz.”

Lot C-91 is a historical cuvée with remarkable depth, complexity, and aging potential, sourced from prized parcels in Western Oakville, Eastern Rutherford, Southeast Howell Mountain, and the foothills of St. Helena. It represents a significant enhancement in quality compared to the renowned Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged for nine months in large neutral casks and a mix of new and used French oak, Lot C-91 showcases the density and length that only the world's finest wines can achieve. The savory notes of sage, rosemary, cured meats, and black pepper set this cuvée apart. The finish of Lot C-91 on the palate reveals exceptional complexity and harmony, promising rewards for those who can wait for decades.

The Lot C-91 is a full-bodied wine with a good influence of old oak, black cherries, blue berries, sage and rosemary; we tasted hints of mocha, super elegant and well balanced, ripe and awesome long finish and definitely more complex than their regular Napa Valley Cabernets. Rosette Media Rating : 95/100

Trailside Vineyard

Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford, Napa Valley

Since 1984, this remarkable vineyard has been part of the Heitz estate, producing one of our three single-vineyard cabernet sauvignons. Situated between Silverado Trail and Conn Creek on the fertile eastern side of the Rutherford appellation, only the finest blocks are chosen for this terroir-driven cabernet sauvignon. Comprising a tapestry of sixteen blocks of cabernet sauvignon, planted with seven different clones across layers of eight distinct soil types over eighty-five acres, the enchanting Trailside Vineyard epitomises the Rutherford terroir.

“The alluvial soil combined with a gradual slope towards Conn Creek makes this site ‘textbook perfect’ for growing Cabernet Sauvignon. We have planted the vines on an east-west orientation to evenly ripen the fruit throughout the day with dappled, gentle sunlight, resulting in small berries and ultimately, a smooth and concentrated wine.” – Brittany Sherwood, Winemaker.

Crafted entirely from Cabernet Sauvignon, each block from Trailside is individually crushed and fermented, remaining unblended during its initial year in neutral oak tanks. Afterward, the wine moves to 100% new French Limousin oak barrels, where each lot is regularly tasted and assessed over two years. The finest barrels are then chosen to become the Trailside Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. These wines continue to age separately by lot for an additional year in barrels, totaling four years in oak, before finally being blended for bottling. Once bottled, the Trailside matures for another year before being released from our cellar.

Known for its classic Rutherford character and elegant structure, the 2018 vintage showcases a good balance of red and dark fruit notes with herbal undertones, blackcurrants, plums, cherries and dried mint. It is medium bodied, vibrant, velvety and smooth, with tobacco and spice notes omnipresent throughout the wine and a wonderful long finish. Rosette Media Rating : 96/100

The Heitz Cellar Promise

Acquiring wine directly from Heitz Cellar offers the assurance that only ex-château provenance can provide. These pristine wines have never left their cellars. Purchasing from them ensures you are the first and sole owner. Building a personal connection with their estate grants you special consideration. They are deeply thankful for your support, making your satisfaction with every aspect of their relationship a top priority. They will express their gratitude by providing you with the most attentive service possible, particularly when you visit them in the Napa Valley.

https://heitzcellar.com/