Page 81 - Cork & Tee Sample Program Flipbook, 2018

Proposed Winery Visits – Napa Valley:

Martin Estate (Rutherford): Established in 1887, the winery at Martin Estate is one of the
oldest wineries in Napa Valley. The property is located on an original parcel of the Caymus land
grant that was bestowed upon Captain George
C. Yount in 1836. The historic building was
used in the early twentieth century to produce
the first two vintages of Georges de Latour’s
wine from Beaulieu Vineyards. It stopped
producing wine in about 1910 and was later
converted into an estate called Puerto Dorada
(now the name of the vineyard), but fell into
disrepair and was populated by tens of
thousands of bats for decades. Enter Greg
Martin, a noted dealer of antique arms and
armor, and his German-born wife Petra, who both fell in love with this old winery. They bought
the estate and lovingly restored it with the goal of retaining much of its nineteenth-century
character. They certainly succeeded in this effort.

Today, the 12-acre estate produces exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon. Located in the heart of
Rutherford, Martin produces a wine that features that distinctive aftertaste characteristic of the
celebrated Rutherford dust. Indeed, this is hallowed Cabernet ground. Martin Estate makes
wines only from grapes grown on its property, with the exception of a small amount of Late
Harvest Sauvignon Blanc (a Sauternes-style wine only offered on occasion—but well worth the
wait; Greg says it’s his California answer to Chateau d’Yquem). There are otherwise three main
types: Martin Estate Cabernet Sauvignon; Martin Estate Collector’s Reserve (the difference
between the two is clonal; the Collector’s Reserve is mostly clone 6), both of which are 100
percent Cabernet Sauvignon; and Bacchanal, which is a blend of the estate’s three Cabernet
Sauvignon clones and about 5 percent Merlot. There’s also a cabernet-based rosé. Of course,
everything is done by hand here, and only the best French oak is used for aging. You won’t find
an abundance of high-tech gadgetry here, as it was Martin’s desire to re-create all the elements of
a fine eighteenth-century wine estate.

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