The blockbuster 2003 MARTIN ESTATE possesses extremely well balanced tannins perfectly woven into an array of dark fruit blackberry, plums, and figs. This noble creation possesses a restrained elegance reminiscent of a fine $100+ Bordeaux while delivering on power and finesse .

This tightly woven gem requires a full 2 hours of decanting before revealing its luster of complex, spicy fruit, white pepper and a hint of black olive tapenade on the sultry finish. Age-worthy and masterful, the Martin Estate 2003 will continue to thrill for the next decade, peaking around 2012 in our estimate.

Our #1 pick for an age-worthy, elegant Bordeaux-style blend.

Hal Oates, President
PORTHOS The Wine Insiders, San Rafael

"The outstanding 2003 MARTIN ESTATE Cabernet is darkly fruity and classically "Rutherford" to the nose, which offers blackberry, blueberry, Cassis, vanilla and earth, with background hints of rose and bell pepper and a general impression of juicy ripeness. It is very plush on the palate, covering a firm tannic spine in a bath of fruit. The finish is extremely long and deep and just beginning to show how attractive it could become. With airing, the flavors veer toward red currant and red cherry, but retain the classic terroir of the appellation. It is already delicious, but expect it to get even better over the next three years and beyond."

"The 2003 Collectors Reserve is brightly fruity, floral and big scale all the way. The nose of this finely structured Cab offers red cherry, red currant, crushed red rose petal, toast, vanilla and earth in a tight and focused package. It is initially firm and tannic on the palate, with a strong oaky cast and lots of earth; but airing brings out the brilliant fruit, along with a wonderful sense of grace and polish, without any loss of focus or intensity. Ultimately the fruit fully dominates, as red currant, red cherry, vanilla and mineral elements fan out through the finish. This should be a brilliant Cab in three years, but don't be surprised if it continues to evolve and improve well beyond that. 350 cases produced."

Don Gillette
Napa Valley Winery Exchange, San Francisco


"A single-vineyard, single clone selection, the 2003 MARTIN ESTATE Collectors Reserve 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
Bounty Hunter Rare Wine & Provisions, Napa

When we first opened the 2003 Martin Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, we picked up menthol, tar, truffle and a little earthiness on the nose, and after a little while a slight hint of clove. Awesome black/purple inky color and great tannins that soon softened up even more. On the palate, a light mocha with a lingering spicy finish, which after about one hour changed to more of a rich dark chocolate, playfully embracing the deep fruit. Decanting highly recommended. Will easily age and beautifully so.

Ron Miranda and Charlie Bean, Proprietors
BACCHUS Wine Made Simple, Manhattan Beach

"MARTIN ESTATE 2003 Collector's Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon: a lovely olfactory experience, this offering from winemaker Jef Stebben allows for expressions of all manner of exceptional fruit -- cherries, blackberries, even blueberries. There's a hint of mint on the fruity nose and a lush, long finish. Only 300 cases produced of this winning wine."

L. Pierce Carson
Napa Valley Register

This is one of the best wines I have tasted in years! I took a bottle of 2003 Martin Estate home which I tasted daily for the next five days. To my surprise, this wine got better and better as time progressed. My initial observation was "WOW", a stellar Rutherford Dust wine, but two days later it was more "WOW". This wine is loaded from nose to finish with concentrated, well-balanced black-stone fruit that is very elegantly manicured into a museum-piece-like-painting that you cannot get enough of... The wine is powerful, yet elegant, loaded with non-overbearing fruit. It has alcohol, but does not taste alcoholic. A must have in your cellar!

Frank Melis, Proprietor
Golden Gate Wine Cellars, San Francisco

"The powerful fruit forward MARTIN ESTATE Reserve 2002 shows some mineral components as well as a cherry/violet bouquet that continuously evolves as the wine opens in the glass. More cocoa, caramel & toast will eventually show up along with black pepper, plum and cassis fragrances with a seamless integration of wood, tannin and acidity. Greg Martin has a clear idea about the potential of his vines and combined with the history of the Estate & the professionalism of his team, there is no doubt in my mind that this wine will soon become impossible to find..."

Rom Toulon, Sommelier
Meadowood Napa Valley

"At first sniff I am reminded of a great cab from Provence - Domaine Trevaillon with enough age to be soft and supple, but more fruit then any Domaine in the South of France has been lucky enough to achieve. And again, the characteristic pencil lead of Pauillac consistent with the 2001 version, and the nose is encased in a buttery graham cracker crust.
The palate is true to the nose, but infinitely softer with the texture of chewy fudge;the fruit dominates on the palate with bushels of fresh bing cherries - the closest expression of this fruit I have ever seen in a wine - down to the long finish that is slow to fade."

Paul Einbund, Sommelier
Bacar, San Francisco

"I first tasted MARTIN ESTATE at the 2006 Premiere Napa Valley Barrel Tasting earlier this year. It stood out among the hundred or so wines I tasted there.
MARTIN ESTATE wines are the most pure expression of Rutherford terroir. The finish alone on these wines puts them into their own league. Both the ESTATE and the RESERVE have remarkable component balance. I can not believe these are their first releases. They will age well; I would encourage you to start a vertical NOW."

Bob Sprentall, Proprietor
B-21 Fine Wine and Spirits, Florida


"2002 MARTIN ESTATE Cabernet Sauvignon - I loved the wine!
Powerful nose of blackberry, persimmon, earth, smoke and forest floor. Dark fruit flavors ... blackberry, black plum, currant and spice in an intriguing melange.
As the wine aired, it gained a jammy character that was very appealing. There is a long finish of primarily dark fruits. Truly delicious."

Denise Johnson, General Manager
Napa Valley Winery Exchange, San Francisco


"2002 MARTIN ESTATE Cabernet Sauvignon shows beautifully balanced aromas of macerated sour cherry, dust (that famous Rutherford dust), and just a hint of smoky oak that makes this a wine perfect for any dinner table. The palate is fresh and lively with ripe Cabernet fruit and marvelous balancing acidity. I love the positive energy this wine exudes that makes you come back for another glass.
The 2002 MARTIN ESTATE RESERVE, made from specific clonal selections, has all the wonderful attributes of the regular bottling, but is quite richer on the palate. It shows more breadth and depth without showing more oak. It displays a markedly different balance, but still maintains the freshness of style from this new property."

Tim Mosher, Sommelier
Terra Restaurant, St. Helena, Napa Valley


"Perfection, sought by many but seldom realized, is clearly the intention of Greg Martin. In a few short years, he restored one of Napa Valley's most beautiful historic wineries to a level that rivals the finest Bordelaise Estates. This magnificent chateau is the home of one of Napa's most impeccable wines.
The 2002 MARTIN ESTATE Cabernet Sauvignon is a Rutherford Cabernet unequaled in its sense of place. Aromas unfold with profound clarity to reveal a core of finely textured Black Tartarian Cherry fruit framed by an elegant structure of luscious tannins that deftly presents layer upon layer of exotic spice, texture and character... one of the finest Cabernets I have ever tasted."

Michael Blasquez, Wine Buyer
Oakville Grocery, Oakville, Napa Valley


"On April 12, 2007 a TV show for the Bravo network "FIRST CLASS ALL THE WAY" wanted us to do a food and wine pairing, so I got to pick some hard to find wines of great quality. We paired the 2002 MARTIN ESTATE GOLD with Seared Foie Gras with Mango. GOLD is not a Sauternes, but it comes as close as any American wine I have ever tasted. Martin makes the finest Napa Valley late harvest wine."

Scott Tracey, Sommelier
La Toque, Rutherford

"The 2002 MARTIN ESTATE GOLD opens with aromas of botrytis, apricot, apple, honey, and pear which repeat as flavors with the addition of lots of spice, and some citrus and with the botrytis at the end. Everything finishes broad and long. It has excellent acidity to balance the sweetness and is very well put together. Very Good. BEST WINE."

Harold Baer
The Colorado Wine News

"The 2002 Martin Gold is the finest desert wine I have tasted from California. Greg calls it his Little D'Yquem. There is no mistaking the botrytis here and the melange of complexity that it brings! Now that those 2001 Sauternes are either extinct or exorbitantly priced (and this will hang tight with them qualitatively) go for the Gold!"

Bob Sprentall, Proprietor
B-21 Fine Wine and Spirits, Florida



"The 2001 MARTIN ESTATE Reserve is delicious. It is really nice to find a producer in Napa Valley that truly lets the terroir express itself in a wine. The fruit is dark and luscious, with hints of earth and herbs. The fruits, earth and herbaceous qualities are all present, dancing on the palate and never overpowering each other. A great wine to me does not express one quality, such as fruit or oak. A truly great wine shows many layers of flavor, which MARTIN ESTATE Reserve shows in the purest form."

Mark Bright, Sommelier
Michael Mina Restaurant - San Francisco

"A wine reminiscent of the great 2000 Chateau Margaux...Giant amounts of cassis and rich ripe cherry, the oak is very much in balance and tastes rich and dark with a touch of creaminess. This wine will age beautifully for at least the next 15 years, and maybe much more."

Paul Einbund, Sommelier
Bacar, San Francisco

"What makes my job so incredible is that I am so proud to be the final person who gets to take all the hard work, dedication, and passion that is put into a bottle of wine to its final journey, where it is my passion to be able to present a fine wine to really cool people who appreciate it. 2001 MARTIN ESTATE is the best Cabernet that I have had in a long time!"

Tammy Ruesenberg, Sommelier
Olives - Bellagio, Las Vegas

"California Cabernet Sauvignon is without a doubt one of the world's greatest wines. Every year the California Cabernet Society creates a "Cabernet Heaven" by pulling together over 70 of the best producers in the state to pour their current releases. The overall quality level of the wines at this tasting is very high, making it difficult to select the winners. But at the end of the day there are some wines that are just more memorable. There is something about them that makes them stand out from the crowd, the cream of the top -- wines I could not forget:     2001 MARTIN ESTATE
The beautiful, striking label of this new winery certainly gets your attention and you are not disappointed upon tasting. The wine exhibits a spicy, fragrant nose, rich concentrated, full bodied flavors, with ripe tannin, licorice, smoke and red currant flavors. Great work from this exciting newcomer."

Pierre du Mont
Piedmont Post

"2001 MARTIN ESTATE is wild with blackberry/dark fruit, briar patch and vanilla, yet it doesn't overload the palate with jam. A very approachable wine now, this will last a few years. One of the most impressive wines I have tasted from 2001, MARTIN ESTATE RESERVE has a complex nose, dark and brooding with chocolate, cinnamon and earth. Full bodied, balanced and built for age, this wine will continue to develop with time."

Jim Marsh, Wine Director
City Hall Restaurant, New York

"2001 MARTIN ESTATE - Produced from a variety of individually fermented selections of multiple clones, this Estate grown Cabernet will be one to watch in upcoming vintages. A touch of herb in the nose leads to the satisfying aromas of black pepper, plum, lavender and anise. Great acid and the unmistakable Rutherford Dust. Much like Greg Martin, this property has eyes on the future, with one foot planted in the past."

Doug Wilder
Vinfolio, San Francisco

"MARTIN ESTATE... Like a well crafted suit of armor. Let us assure you, after tasting their current release (only their second commercial wine) and what they have stashed away in the barrel, they have the goods to put their mark on the business. Textbook Rutherford Cabernet...This is great stuff!"

Mark Steven Pope, Proprietor
Bounty Hunter Rare Wines & Provisions, Napa

"The 2005 Rutherford Dust Society trade tasting includes some of the more high-end wines in Napa, and offers a benchmark for each vintage of the valley's "Big Cabs". My favorite wines this year included MARTIN ESTATE CABERNET and RESERVE CABERNET. Although I often sort my wine impressions by price, the MARTIN ESTATE wines jumped out at this tasting in a way that made price irrelevant. 2001 MARTIN ESTATE RESERVE is an immensely complex wine that opens up into layers of flavor as it breathes. A beautiful wine. 2001 MARTIN ESTATE has a similar profile with slightly softer structure. Excellent and well structured."

Robert Rich
FlavorNotes

"Recently, at a special invitation-only tasting gathered Rutherford's appellation's finest wineries showing their latest releases. There among the pillars of Napa giants stood unknown and tiny, newcomer MARTIN ESTATE WINERY. Proving that good news travels fast in the wine industry, the room soon echoed the praises of the MARTIN ESTATE 2001 RESERVE CABERNET. It was clearly the best wine being poured at the event. A huge wine that immediately places MARTIN ESTATE among the top of California Cabernet producers."

David Chesterfield
Gold Medal Wine Club