Heitz Wine Cellars Heitz Cellar Lot C-91 2018 750ml

Wow. Such a racy and exciting nose! This is quite agile and nimble, full of red and blue berries in the forefront, then complemented by spiced orange, earl grey, red plums, potpourri, savory plums and chocolate. Tense and elegant on the palate, which is all about succulent red berries, nuance and texture. Nothing redundant here. A great Napa cabernet sauvignon that has real definition. A beauty by all accounts! Drink or hold. (James Suckling)

Expressive, with a bold menthol note followed quickly by boysenberry and blackberry compote flavors wrapped in black licorice. The long finish has a tug of earth amid a generally velvety feel, while the menthol note curls around the fruit. Distinctive. Drink now through 2038. 5,496 cases made.

There's a gentle herbaceousness to the cherry fruit in Heitz's 2018 Lot C-91, making it a bit more like redcurrant than true cherry. A blend of fruit from Oakville, Rutherford, St. Helena and Howell Mountain, it's medium-bodied but more expansive and generous than the regular bottling, with a nice touch of velvet layered in on the mid-palate and a long, fruit-driven finish.

Originally a blend of single vineyards, including 50% of the volume to come out of Martha’s Vineyard, the 2017 Lot C-91 is now a home for borderline lots that don’t quite make the single-vineyard bottlings. Marked by notes of black cherries, cassis, restrained oak and a hint of dried herbs, this is full-bodied yet streamlined in shape, with a long, softly dusty finish.

A perfumy style, with damson plum, rooibos tea, sandalwood and mulled cherry aromas and flavors that glide through on a silky structure. Ends with light sanguine and savory threads. Drink now through 2032. 2,960 cases made. (James Molesworth)

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Lot C-91 is a blend from lots that show a bit more early approachability. All of the fruit is from estate vineyards. There’s quite a bit of character and complexity here. Strong savory accents meld into a core of dark fruit. The tannins are a bit rustic, but then again, that’s why these lots did not go into the vineyard designates. (Antonio Galloni)