Heitz Cellar is one of Napa Valley's genuinely historic wineries, founded by Joe and Alice Heitz in 1961 and closely associated with Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, one of the early wines that proved Napa could produce age-worthy Cabernet on a world stage. In a valley full of glossy tasting rooms, Heitz still matters because of that history, not just because it pours good wine.
The St. Helena tasting salon is on Highway 29 at the original property the family purchased in the early 1960s. Visits are polished and reservation-oriented, but the story gives the stop more substance than an ordinary tasting. If you are comparing St. Helena wineries, Heitz belongs with Beringer, Charles Krug, Spottswoode, and Freemark Abbey as part of the town's modern wine lineage.