Martin Estate winery is one of the last privately owned historic pre-prohibition stone châteaux, specializing in estate grown, single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons of the highest quality. Located in Rutherford, Napa Valley. [1]
History[]
The winery and main structure -- a large stone Château built in 1887 -- was originally named the H.H. Harris Winery, which ceased production in 1901. In 1909, the winery was leased to George De Latour who used it to produce his first two vintages of Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon - an iconic Napa brand.
After De Latour's second vintage, wine production ceased at the H.H. Harris Winery, and in 1941 the massive stone structure was turned into an elegant country château.
The property -- 12 acres of prime vineyard land and the château -- was purchased in 1996 by Greg and Petra Martin, both wine aficionados and collectors of fine art who restored the château painstakingly over more than ten years to maintain its amazing 18th and 19th century feel.
After purchasing the Estate, the vineyard was planted with the help of Charles "Chuck" Wagner of Caymus Vineyards.
The 8 acre estate vineyard has 12 separate blocks with Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc. The grapes are hand picked, sorted twice by hand, then fermented in custom French concrete tanks by Nomblot, large and small oak barrels, plus the only LeJeune tanks in the Napa Valley. The concrete fermenters were imported from France and are rarely found in North America. After fermentation, the wine is aged in for 18 to 22 months in new French oak barrels.
The first vintage of Martin Estate Cabernet Sauvignon made its debut in 2001. Today, French trained winemaker Aaron Pott is in charge of the Château's production, and with the family's second generation now at the helm, the small handcrafted portfolio of wines compares with the best first growth Bordeaux.
Robert Parker from the Wine Advocate rated the 2014 MARTIN ESTATE RESERVE with 96 points, and declared the wine "One of the top candidates among the best Cabernet Sauvignons." [2]
Estate Wines[3][]
- MARTIN ESTATE COLLECTOR'S RESERVE Cabernet Sauvignon
- MARTIN ESTATE Cabernet Sauvignon
- BACCHANAL (Bordeaux Blend)
- MARTIN ESTATE ROSÉ of Cabernet Sauvignon
- MARTIN ESTATE PORT
- CHÂTEAU NAPA
Trivia[]
- In 2005 the property was featured in Turner Broadcasting's Hallmark movie The Engagement Ring starring Patricia Heaton, Vincent Spano, and Lainie Kazan.