A short crop and the passage of time have made these wines extremely difficult to come by. When found, however, the wines are delicate and bright, yet fully mature. The vintage was characterized by extreme spring frosts, a steadily warm summer, and rain during harvest.

This cold, late-ripening vintage produced wines that are now fleeting, delicate and fully mature. The best examples can still be delicious. The second year in a row of springtime frost resulted in another short vintage. Overall the year was quite cool, and the harvest was very late. The vast majority of 1962 Napa Valley wines are past their peaks now, but a rare few still offer a core of age-sweetened fruit and gentle woodsy aromas.

A troublesome vintage, 1963 saw both a heat wave and significant rains before harvest. Despite the difficult conditions, however, a good portion of 1963s are beautiful and charming even to this day.

A picture perfect growing season ripened this year’s small crop beautifully. Although fully mature, many excellent 1964s can still be found that show the slightly diffuse fruit and still lively acidity of the year.

The vintage was hot and dry, peppered by many heat spikes. The resulting wines are quite concentrated and were decadent in their youth. All but the most fragile blossom with some time in the decanter.

The vintage began rather mildly but got increasingly hot as harvest approached. Crop load was below average. Despite this, the 1966 vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon for Heitz Cellar was remarkable enough to justify naming the first vineyard designated wine in Napa Valley; Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.

A difficult year that resulted in delicate wines. Spring set a large crop, and a mild-to-cool growing season provided only moderate ripeness.

The weather was warm and steady throughout the entire growing season and the wines are concentrated, robust, and consistently excellent.

The vintage was long, cool, and steady, while the wines are still dark, powerful, and impossibly youthful.

Long-lived wines from a small crop of very high quality wines. Spring was dramatic with both extreme frost and extreme heat, but the rest of the season was protracted and warm.

A wet harvest resulted in diluted flavors. Winter and spring were cold and wet, while the cool weather continued throughout the growing season. High yields were problematic, and Napa Valley struggled against Mother Nature.

While 1972 has been largely seen as the disappointing vintage of the decade, Heitz Cabernets are regarded as one of the best outcomes of a difficult season. The Napa Valley was hurt by a cool and rainy year, topped off by harvest rains.

Elegant and subtle; well-proportioned and a relief to winemakers after two difficult vintages. A protracted, cool, and steady growing season brought in even crops and a steady harvest season.

An exceptional vintage; expressive, intense and full-blown. The large crop matured slowly until several heat spikes during harvest pushed ripeness across the finish line.

Dry, warm weather throughout the summer marked the official beginning of a drought. It was to last for two full years, but growers were caught off guard in 1976. The vines were pruned for a normal crop, and the dry weather soon placed them under stress conditions. The berries were small and sugar levels soared by late August, resulting in concentrated fruit with low yields.

Dry, warm weather throughout summer marked the beginning of two year drought. Vines were placed under stress from the dry weather and berries were small, with natural sugars high by August. Rutherford and Oakville appellations were more moderate and Heitz Cellar wines were among the few standouts of the vintage.

With vines pruned for a low crop in anticipation of a second drought year, most vines carried a small crop and vineyards went through the warm, occasionally hot summer weeks in reasonably good shape. Irrigation was widely practiced avoiding over-stressing vines. The North Coast experienced several light rain showers which in retrospect proved beneficial to the small, dehydrated fruit. As a result of this harvest rain, Cabernet was revived and over the next ten days to two week the berries returned to a better balance of juice to skins and softer skins. Many of the finest wines were made from vineyards picked in late October.

A wet spring created concern about early botrytis, but the wished-for warm weather followed bloom. From then on was a classic even ripening season with a heat wave arriving just before the harvest began. Harvesting was frantic, and some grapes became over-ripe. But the crop size was large enough to make up for two drought years.

An under-appreciated vintage in which a cool season that began with high expectations ran up against heat spikes in July and rain showers around the harvest. Quality varied widely, with some of the reds picked before the rains, and the rest harvested well into October. Overall, the vintage yielded Cabernets that were slightly tight and austere but long-lived.

A wet winter gave way to a cool early season. The bloom period was smooth, but it was unusually long, lasting over a month. The season then turned unusually cool and foggy with growers wishing for a warm spell. The long-awaited heat spell arrived in September to allow the fruit to develop higher sugar content while holding decent to good acidity. The heat continued though, and Cabernet clusters were a mix of ripeness. However, many winemakers overcame these problems and the best reds were ripe and balanced, showing their varietal character.

After an intense heatwave, an early harvest was in full swing by mid-August, with reduced crop levels in Napa and Sonoma. Early overviews of a quick-maturing vintage were soon modified, and this much misunderstood vintage eventually gave wines that age much better than expected. Napa Valley Cabernets revealed a supple texture, but with solid varietal character, and surprising balance.

An odd year with an extremely wet winter and spring. Vines set a larger than normal crop and after a cool June and July, the summer warmed up and vines were working hard to mature the large yield. Two rainstorms plumped the berries on the over-cropped vines. Thinning vines proved a success as did waiting for better weather in October to harvest. The style of those successes tends toward ripe, but tannic and tight Cabernets in their youth and aged slowly but evenly over time.

After beginning with normal weather through June, the season changed with frequent heat spikes and rains during harvest. Fortunately, most vineyards were harvested before the rains.

This was one of those rare too good to be true vintages that was big in size and ranged from good to excellent in quality. The harvest was early due to a hot spell that kicked it off and a long period of warm weather followed to keep harvesters busy. The Cabernets responded by offering generous highly concentrated flavors, and high tannin levels. Even by California standards, the wines were huge, powerful and ultra-ripe.

After experiencing one of the earliest starts through an early bud break, the season was relatively cool and ended by being one of the longest and best up to the time. The summer offered warm days, cool nights, and a cool August paved the way for a sunny September that brought the fruit to an even and incremental maturity rarely encountered in California. The fruit maturity was achieved at relatively moderate sugar levels and the acidity was textbook perfect for balance, yielding successful Cabernets. Generally ripe and supple, the wines are well-proportioned and integrated with fine tannins. At the time this was the finest vintage since 1974. With cellaring the best are displaying a refined fruitiness and elegance.

Another year with early budbreak, following winter floods in Napa Valley. With a cool early season and few heat spikes, the growing season was long and seemed to resemble its predecessor up to and including a warm September. This vintage went its own way to reveal a sleek, polished fruit side and only moderate tannins. The successes were widespread and again shared by the whole of Napa Valley. Inviting in their youth, the Cabernets promised a long and beautiful future.

Hot spring weather during flowering reduced the crop size and led to an early harvest. A dry summer generally yielded smallish berries and concentrated flavors. A heat wave early in the harvest spurred an early pick to avoid over ripeness.

Another year similar to 1987’s small crop size but for different reasons. Instead of heat waves, the growing season was challenged with multiple rainstorms. Yields were small and the concentration of flavors in grapes was light.

After a few years of small crops, 1989 brought large yields and was a cool growing year. The year got off to a strong start, but rain in mid and late September interrupted the harvest and caused a rush to finish picking. Overall, it was an uneven vintage for Napa Valley, depending on vineyard site and harvest dates.

Crop sizes were small but produced many deeply concentrated wines that have aged well. The growing season was long and mild, with largely uneventful weather except for a bit of rain during flowering.

1991 was a reverse of 1990’s small crop size, with ripe and complex berries. It was the beginning of what turned out to be a notable decade. Heavy rain in the spring brought the five-year drought cycle to a close. Temperatures during most of the summer were cooler than average but picked up in September with a series of spikes that ripened the fruit.

A temperate growing season led to uniformly rich, fleshy, supple and balanced wines. The winter saw high levels of precipitation, but 1992 is remembered mostly for two distinct heat waves in August that gave the wines their ripe, racy personalities.

Winter rains broke the drought and restored nutritional balance to the depleted soils. A few more raindrops fell during May’s bloom period leading to a reduced set and eventually to a smaller than normal crop. The growing season alternated between cool spells and heat spikes, but ripening was behind schedule until a few late-August heat waves increased sugar levels.

A mild summer followed a fairly dry winter and cool, long spring, which allowed the moderate crop load to ripen slowly and consistently. A period of very warm weather during the first half of August just after veraison brought some unevenness in coloration but thinning fruit achieved more even ripening of the grapes that remained. The long, mostly cool growing season resulted in extended hang time for the grapes, allowing fruit to develop with extraordinary flavor development and ripe tannins.

After the uneventful pattern of the 1994 vintage, this was a year of extremes ranging from two severe winter floods, heavy spring rains, and even a hailstorm in June. The season started late and moved along slowly. When warmth finally arrived in late June, the grapes still were maturing slowly. The summer and fall weeks returned to being mild. A warming trend in late September came along just in time to bring the fruit to ripeness levels ranging from good to ideal.

After an odd warm winter with more than normal rainfall, a pleasant spring led to early budbreak. But the cool weather encountered intermittent rain showers in May during the critical period of flowering and set. The remainder of the summer was warm, with several heat spikes speeding up veraison and eventually raising sugar. September’s brief but dramatic cooling trend allowed the grape flavors to catch up to sugar levels.

After several short vintages, the 1997 crop was extremely large, bringing production levels back to meet demand. With budbreak occurring a month early, the vineyards went into bloom with a great fruit set and a large crop. Except for one hot week in August, the summer days and nights were consistent and moderate. With most vineyards reaching their maturity, light rains arrived in mid-September. The vintage was characterized by “a uniformity of ripeness” especially in Napa Valley where the Cabernets were extraordinarily deep in color, forward in black fruit flavors, and refined with their mature tannins.

1998 brought a cold and rainy weather pattern, called El Niño, creating a challenging year for winegrowers. With over sixty inches of rain in the four winter months, vines entered veraison as late in the year as most winemakers could recall. With such a late growing season there was considerable concern about mildew and botrytis during the overcast summer weeks. July gave up a few warm days, and August almost returned to normal warmth. The fact that the vines were carrying a light crop made everyone a little more patient. Fortunately, the first ten days of October brought the closest thing to a warm spell which was a much-needed relief to finish off ripening.

After a winter of normal rainfall and somewhat lower than normal temperatures, budbreak was a little late, followed by late bloom and set, resulting in fewer and smaller clusters. After a wet spring, the long and cool months that followed were again the effects of El Niño. Fortunately, the last two weeks in September quickly warmed up and in response, most varieties tended to ripen at once.

After late frosts and an unseasonably hot spring, the weather moderated, leading to an early harvest for many grapes and long hang times for others. And early bud break in March left vines vulnerable to a surprise frost in April, one of the most severe frosts in 25 years. Summer followed with the hottest May on record and the third hottest June, pushing harvest three weeks sooner than normal.

Spring and summer in Napa Valley were just about perfect in 2002. A mild spring with no excessive heat to affect flowering, followed by a cool, steady August and dry, moderate autumn were the hallmarks of the optimal weather. Ripening was uniform: the cool and steady summer weather allowing long hang time and a development of flavors. Overall concentration of flavors and balance were the reward of an even growing year.

Warm February weather tricked the vines into early bud break, but it was immediately followed by an unseasonably cold and extremely wet April in which the vines virtually stopped growing for several weeks. May temperatures were closer to normal, and the vines resumed growth once again. The result was a slightly below average fruit set in Cabernet. It warmed up in June and there were some record-breaking heat waves, especially in July. August saw a return to average or below-average temperatures. After some rains in early September, a warm pattern set in around September, and the harvest was progressing at a steady pace.

The growing season started quickly, with bloom coming almost a month earlier than in previous years. A record three-week hot spell in early March set the tone and pushed the vines. The spring weather continued to be warm, giving way to a cooler May and June. Cabernet Sauvignon went through veraison when the heat arrived in the last week of August and continued over the next two weeks, leading into one of the earliest harvests in Napa Valley.

A wet winter followed by rain in the spring and early summer created vigorous growth followed by a long, cool growing season and late harvest in most of California. The vine vigor contributed to larger than usual yields. The summer and early fall created a slow ripening season without major heat waves, contributing to excellent fruit quality with good sugar, flavors and ripe tannins, ending with a later than average start to harvest.

A tumultuous year, with swings between flooding and a wet spring, to a record-setting heat wave in July, made 2006 a year for talented vineyard management. A cool down in August allowed grapes to ripen at a steadier pace, leading to a long harvest as different varieties were harvested at optimum ripeness.

A dry winter with cold nights led to early budbreak Low rainfall continued throughout spring, and berry set was sparse. A mild, cool summer allowed the grapes to steadily develop flavor, while a mini heatwave late August/early September added a boost of sugar levels to complement the acid structure. Sporadic rains in early October made the harvest more challenging than expected, drawing it out into a more traditional timeframe.

The 2008 growing season began as one of the driest springs on record, prompting vines to bud early, coinciding with a long period of deep frost, breaking records from mid-March to late April. Immediately following frost came an unseasonable heat spike as the vines were beginning to flower. Fortunately, the remainder of summer evened out with cooler and consistent temperatures. What looked like a steady harvest season was quickly shifted into high gear after a week-long heat wave over Labor Day, resulting in almost all varieties coming in at once.

2009 was a much calmer season than 2008, with steady growth despite the third consecutive year of below normal precipitation. A mild summer gave way to a harvest with little worries, producing crops with evenly balanced tannins, fruit, and acidity.

Rainfall returned after three dry years, delaying bud break but with no risk of frost. Spring and summer temperatures remained cool and even, with only one heat spike in late August. Harvest was later than usual because of the cooler weather, but the longer hang time allowed grapes to achieve full maturity with good color and flavor development.

For a second consecutive vintage, Napa Valley dealt with uncharacteristically cool, wet conditions in 2011. With a several week stall in bud break and flowering, followed by more rain in June, vines were delayed in their normal growth pattern. One of the latest starts to harvest in memory brought in a variety of yields, depending on which vineyards experienced ‘shatter’ from the June rains. Overall quantity was low, but the quality of fruit was well structured and balanced. A challenging vintage throughout Napa Valley, Heitz Cellar did not bottle a 2011 Martha’s Vineyard or Trailside Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon this year in order to preserve the uncompromising quality standard set for these wines.

No growing season is easy, but 2012 presented few challenges. “Classic” and “textbook” are terms used to describe this perfect growing year. A mild spring led to a good fruit set and summer and fall brought warm temperatures, but no heat waves. All the fruit enjoyed a long, slow ripening and crops yields were abundant. Optimum ripeness and excellent quality fruit at harvest translates to high quality wines with balanced components in the bottle.

A warm, dry spring allowed for early bud break but thanks to temperate weather, the fruit was not in danger of frost or rain damage. Consistently warm summer months trailed into early fall, uninterrupted by heat spikes or rain, which made for an early harvest in ideal conditions, ending about two weeks earlier than usual.

2014 will be remembered as the year a powerful earthquake rocked Napa Valley in late August. It was also the second in a series of drought vintages, making for an accelerated growing season, which began with early flowering after a mild winter and culminated in an exceptionally early start to harvest. The summer remained steadily warm, largely uninterrupted by the heat spikes. Thanks to those cool conditions, the wines have retained fresh fruit and bright acidities.

The fourth drought-influenced year in a row, plus a cold spell in May during flowering led to uneven fruit set and significantly lower yields compared to the three previous vintages. The smaller crop ripened quickly though, with picking beginning in August and ending by mid-October.

The final drought-influenced vintage since 2012, the growing season started early and continued on a steady pace throughout the ideal weather of summer, without serious heat spikes. An increase in temperature at the end of the growing season allowed grapes to achieve perfect ripeness and phenolic maturity, without the stress of inclement weather.

The five-year drought was relieved over the winter, with abundant rainfall followed by a mild spring. An even summer with normal temperatures allowed for healthy vines with even growth and full veraison. The growing season turned hot in early September, accelerating harvest into high gear, with no cooling-off period. October 8 was the start of a raging wildfire across Napa Valley, sending wineries and growers into a tailspin, concerned about safety, vineyard and winery survival, and mostly, the condition of our overall community.