Fashionably fragrant, it leads with macerated bing cherry, bay laurel, sage, and a subtle minty note. Medium-bodied, soft and long, with plush tannins and a beautiful vein of ironstone minerality. Finishes with fragrant brown spices and notes of walnut husk. Aged in upright casks for 20-36 months in 90-95% new French oak. Cool fermentations, early pressing and a long élevage is the recipe winemaker Brittany Sherwood follows. She says that Heitz uses a small amount of Limousine oak foudre, which typically requires longer ageing for better integration — sourced from the Trailside Vineyard in the eastern foothills of Rutherford, just north of Mumm and south of Conn Creek. Heitz purchased the 34-hectare parcel in 2019 and incorporated the contiguous 20 hectares to the south, formerly called Wildwood.
95 points, Jonathan Cristaldi, Decanter (Feb 2023)
From a vineyard on the eastern side of the Rutherford AVA, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Trailside Vineyard boasts cedar and dusty earth shadings alongside cherries and redcurrants. It's medium-bodied, with more focus and tension than the Martha's but perhaps a bit less generosity and richness. Long and dusty on the finish, it promises to age well for up to two decades.
93+ points, Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate (Mar 2023)
Stylish, with sleek, racy mulberry and warmed cassis notes that are nicely defined, laced liberally with red tea, anise and apple wood. Shows subtle mesquite, mint and iron flashes in the background throughout. Nicely done for the vintage. Drink now through 2036. 2,384 cases made.
93 points, James Molesworth, Wine Spectator (Nov 2023)
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