"What you will taste is the essence of the vineyard."                                                                              -Greg Martin

MARTIN ESTATE encompasses roughly twelve acres. Eight of these acres were planted in 1996 with 17,000 vines. Seven acres of tightly spaced Cabernet Sauvignon, Clones 4, 6 and 337 surround the winery and, at the south end of the property, one acre of Merlot.

Split redwood stakes and non-galvanized wire were used as the trellising system to avoid the reflection of new metal, retaining the feel of a 19th century vineyard.

The soils of the property are Pleasanton Loam and Yolo Loam. Both of these are well drained soils on alluvial fans, allowing the roots of the vines to go deep into the ground in search of water, thus requiring little irrigation. The rootstocks chosen are especially well suited for the terrain. The Estate's vineyard is farmed using organic methods.

As the Estate's terroir changes within the vineyard from 100 percent loam in the eastern section to a more gravelly soil towards the west, an individualized drip irrigation system allows select watering according to the vines' needs.

Being located in the heart of the Rutherford appellation, the sun exposure of the vineyard has a higher radiant value than other parts of Napa Valley. This -- combined with cool evenings and the dusting of fog in the early mornings -- allows the fruit to ripen at a steady pace.

Come harvest time, the grapes are carefully hand picked in small lots and segregated according to clones and soils, as well as their specific maturity. As the vines are only a few feet away from the Estate Winery, it is possible to get the grapes within minutes after picking on to a sorting table, where they are hand sorted before making their way into French oak fermentation tanks.

MARTIN ESTATE Cabernet Sauvignon is limited to what the vineyard yields, and the wine's intensity mirrors its terroir.

Greg Martin's intent was to restore the sense of a 19th century winery and estate. Inside the stone chateau, the small state-of-the-art winery features custom-made French oak fermentation tanks by Radoux, and a chai for barrel aging that is also used for tastings.

The Rutherford Estate Cabernet Sauvignon made here is handcrafted all the way without any hi-tech interventions. The wines are aged up to 24 months in selected French and American oak barrels, separated by clones and picking dates, awaiting their final blend.