"A Classic is Forever."®
|
Fall 2008
Greetings from Rutherford! Martin Estate is currently offering the 2004 vintage, which represents our second full production of Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as the 2005 Bacchanal. We believe that the fruit in the vineyard determines the quality of a wine. With that in mind, we planted Cabernet Sauvignon Clones 4, 6 and 337 in 1996, as they were particularly well suited for our Rutherford terrain. No scientific advances can replace natural elements like soil and climate. All of the grapes for Martin Estate Cabernet Sauvignon come exclusively from our organically farmed eight-acre Puerta Dorada Vineyard surrounding the 1887 stone winery, and what you are tasting is a site specific Rutherford Estate grown wine. Astonishingly, the land had never been planted, so our now twelve-year-old vineyard has the incredible advantage of a soil - or "Rutherford Dust"- that has not seen decades of monoculture. When the term "Rutherford Dust" was created by Andre Tchelistcheff in the 1940s, he was surely referring to terroir like Puerta Dorada. The 2004 Martin Estate 100% Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of the three distinct clones on the Estate, with a production limited to 300 cases. Each lot was treated as a unique and separate fermentation to focus the specific flavor and character of every single picking. It is a lush wine, exhibiting complex flavors of black cherries, currants, blueberries, tobacco, and a hint of chocolate with a long finish. The 2004 Collector's Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is a special barrel selection of clones 4 and 6. In every tasting throughout the making of this wine, these low yielding clones mirrored the lush, well balanced character of the Estate Blend while displaying a further pronounced elegance and finesse. It was only fitting that we selected it for the bottling of our 2004 Collector's Reserve. We expect it to age well for 10 to 15 years. In addition to the Martin Estate bottling, Winemaker Frederic Delivert created Bacchanal using a small portion of Estate-grown Merlot in its blend. Delightful for everyday occasions, the 2005 Bacchanal shows the versatility that can be obtained from a single Estate Vineyard. Martin Estate's quest for quality is uncompromising: Selective harvesting - we sometimes pick less than an acre at a time - combined with hand sorting and de-stemming of the fruit, and the segregation of clonal selections by picking dates. The wine is fermented in French oak tanks, allowing the interaction of the oak to soften the tannin and sculpt the structure and color of the wine from its inception. We use a small basket press as well as extended barrel aging in select French and American oak to achieve the balance we seek in our Cabernets. This has been said about the wines: Like top-drawer Rutherford Cabernet? Look no further. This gem from MARTIN ESTATE – a boutique winery in heart of the district – is packed to the gills with purple fruit, cassis, spice and loamy "Rutherford dust". The Puerta Dorada Estate Vineyard has provided fruit for several benchmark Napa Valley producers over the years, and Greg and Petra Martin are using their agricultural asset to the highest degree for their own label. 2004 MARTIN ESTATE COLLECTOR'S RESERVE: taste for yourself. MARTIN ESTATE is textbook Rutherford. Concerned more about ripe fruit in the context of elegance (rather than a palate assault), this is redolent of dusty red berries, black licorice, mint and spice. As it opens in the glass, you can feel its power rumbling to life.
Mark Steven Pope, Proprietor
Hal Oates, President
Please email us with any questions you might have. If you would like to place an order, please mail or fax the order form to the winery. We look forward to hearing from you.
|
|||
|
Order Form |