WTN: Great Heitz Cab, Not Good with the Dinner

We all enjoyed one of my absolute favorite (top ten at least) Napa Valley New World style Cabernets-the Heitz 1998 Trailside Vineyard. What a voluptuous wine, with plentiful dark fruit, some tannins on the backbone, great leather and tobacco notes. Maybe a hint of green? Simply delicious, even for someone like me who has moved more towards the hippy French wines (someone accused me of liking vinegar too much )

Sadly, though, I'm afraid the wine was too much for some of the food we ordered as a group. I had bison steak, which I liked...but others complained of blandness. I simply think the wine overwhelmed the food-especially the lighter dishes (poultry, risotto, etc.) We have never complained of bland food before at this restaurant (Tuco's in Davis, CA). So...great wine, but didn't match all of the food very well

We all enjoyed one of my absolute favorite (top ten at least) Napa Valley New World style Cabernets-the Heitz 1998 Trailside Vineyard. What a voluptuous wine, with plentiful dark fruit, some tannins on the backbone, great leather and tobacco notes. Maybe a hint of green? Simply delicious, even for someone like me who has moved more towards the hippy French wines (someone accused me of liking vinegar too much )

Sadly, though, I'm afraid the wine was too much for some of the food we ordered as a group. I had bison steak, which I liked...but others complained of blandness. I simply think the wine overwhelmed the food-especially the lighter dishes (poultry, risotto, etc.) We have never complained of bland food before at this restaurant (Tuco's in Davis, CA). So...great wine, but didn't match all of the food very well

Brian, I agree with you. I like this and Martha's quite a bit as well and it is drinking nicely now. I think unfortunately the repulation of the vintage has resulted in this wine still being readily available, even at the winery. Oh well, more for us.

I have a bottle of the '98 Martha's Vineyard that I am clueless on drinking window for. My history has been one of killing stuff off too early, so I was going to stay away until 2010+.

I agree re: 1998. Even when they have that green character, they can be lovely-drank a Freemark Abbey Bosche 1998 that was greener than the Trailside but so silky smooth in mouthfeel that it was beautiful. And, the winery was firesaling it at under $30.

The reason I brought the Trailside was that the Cellar Tracker notes were higher for the Trailside in the last couple of years than for the Martha's. Not that I beleive Cellar Tracker is definitive, in any way, but just another source of opinions when I am clueless on which wine to choose.

I've also tried the 1998 Bella Oaks, which is much, much greener and mintier. I am pretty sensitive to green-ness though, so your mileage may vary.