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 onto a sorting table,
where de-stemmed whole berries are hand sorted to remove all inferior material.
MARTIN ESTATE Cabernet Sauvignon is limited to what the vineyard yields,
and the wine's intensity mirrors its terroir.
Inside the stone chateau, the state-of-the-art winery features the most advanced custom
made equipment available, unsurpassed by any other small producer in the Napa Valley: from
French cement Nomblot tanks and LeJeune fermenters, to oak fermentation tanks by Radoux,
and an Italian made basket press used for the gentle extraction of grape juice. All wines are
aged in French oak barrels selected by Martin Estate's award winning winemaker Aaron Pott.
Aaron Pott's expertise and passion for creating world class wines makes him the perfect match for Martin Estate. Called "The Mouth behind some of Napa's Best Wines" by the Wall Street Journal, and named a "2012 Winemaker of the Year" by Food & Wine Magazine, Aaron Pott holds a degree of oenology from the University of California, Davis. He completed his education with a Master’s Degree in Viticulture from the Université de Bourgogne in Dijon, France, thereafter taking the position of assistant winemaker with his mentor John Kongsgaard. Aaron then became winemaker at
Aaron Pott shares the Martin Family's vision of making a terroir driven wine that is not a cookie-cutter Cabernet, but a reflection of the historic property where it was grown. In order to understand terroir, and let it shine through in a wine, one has to be able to sense and recognize it. This sensitivity is in danger of becoming extinct in a world of increasing mega wineries and formulaic wines, but is still embraced by the few that enjoy making and/or drinking a wine with personality. The sole proprietorship of Martin Estate, and the hands-on involvement of the Martin Family ensure that the Estate grown, produced and bottled wines showcase the first growth Puerta Dorada vineyard.
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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.
Rutherford, Napa Valley, California
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