In late Spring I was honored to be invited to a Cabernet Sauvignon Masterclass. The event was hosted by Louis M. Martini Wines and our fearless leader for the day was Christy Canterbury, MW. The backdrop was the lovely Redbird restaurant in the heart of downtown Los Angeles. This is clearly a New World wine because the fruit takes a major lead. No supporting role here. Bold black fruit, which signifies to me a warmer climate. Medium + well-integrated tannins. This wine has an Old World nose, that included fruit plus earth. More understated, a bit dusty and older feeling, though it was the same vintage as the others. This felt like cooler-climate black fruit, with some red fruit as well. Medium – dusty tannins. This was my favorite wine of the flight for its austerity and restraint. Truly a distinct wine. 49% Merlot, 51% Cab This wine screams Chile on the nose: capsicum, pyrazines, green bell pepper. As it turns out, I have a very strong nose for the “green” notes, so this stood out for me, though the wine was in no means unripe or subpar. A joint venture between Rothschild and Concha y Toro. I also credit this wine with helping me on my Diploma Unit 3 tasting exam 1 month later. On the exam we had a flight of 3 wines presented to us that were all the same predominant variety. With my tasting flights, I always search for the marker. Which wine in this flight is a sure thing (meaning I know what I am drinking)? If I can find and ID the marker, then I can start deducing what the others could be. The flight is in front of me and I smell all three. One has heavy pyrazines. From there it all came together. One was Napa, one was Bordeaux, and the “green” one was Chile. I incorrectly called the flight predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, when it was in fact predominantly Merlot, but I still think I acquired enough points in the appearance, nose, and palate to “pass” this flight. Note: I did pass this flight on the exam! And I give partial credit to having tasted this wine! I was in my own little hog heaven with this wine. To finally taste a Sassicaia was so awesome! These guys have been credited with starting the Super Tuscan craze. The wine has a much more restrained nose than I thought it would have. There is a beautiful, sweet spice nose and young, juicy red fruit on the palate. Lujan de Cuyo has a slightly higher elevation than the rest of Mendoza, at about 3300 feet. Red and blue fruit plus smooth, integrated medium tannins. Has a bit of Malbec blended in. Hello Napa! Some green notes here, including pine/dill from the American oak. This fruit is from an extremely coastal and cool climate. Lots of berry fruit here (both red and black). A medium to medium – finish. Black fruit (almost sunburned). Medium – aroma intensity. 16.5% ABV on this bad boy, but did not feel that hot. This was my favorite wine of the flight. Knights Valley is between Napa and Sonoma, yet this wine shows more Napa because it’s warmer/riper. Concentrated “mountain” fruit from very low-yielding vines. Juicy red/black fruit (plum and cherry) that is a bit jammy, almost preserve-like. A savory note that Christy says comes from the volcanic soil. The Cascade Mountains create a desert in Washington, which give burning hot days and freezing nights (translation=wide diurnal range), which makes for very dramatic wines. The nose in this wine was very unusual, so much so that I didn’t have any good descriptors! Blueberries on the palate. In my opinion, this wine needs 5-6 years before it’s truly ready for drinking. Hello again Napa! This was my favorite wine of the flight (actually I had 2). Howell Mountain is the highest AVA in Napa at 1500 feet. Everything is grown over the inversion layer (which is where the temperature begins to increase past a certain altitude). It’s a warm AVA that does not have a wide diurnal range. Savory notes almost make me think this is an Old World wine, BUT the fruit is quite prevalent, so it takes me to the New World. Tannins here are mind-blowing. My tannin note was: woah. This is “valley floor” fruit. Red berries and sweet spice on the nose and palate. A masculine wine. Serious (grainy) tannins with an herbaceous/eucalyptus note on the back palate. This wine is the “densest” of the flight. A big boy. Wow. Lovely, mouth-pleasing fruit with drying tannins. A meal in and of itself! Volcanic soils lend minerality to this wine. A perfect combination of rocks and fruit. One of the best wines I tried today.Louis M. Martini: A Bit of History
Global Cabernet Sauvignon Flight
2013 Louis M. Martini Lot 1 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, CA $145
2013 Chateau Palmer, Margaux, Bordeaux $250
2013 Almaviva, Puente Alto, Chile 15% ABV $100 (72% Cab Sauv, 19% Carmenere, 6% Cab Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, 1% Merlot)
2013 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia, Bolgheri, Tuscany $170 (85% Cab Sauv, 15% Cab Franc)
2013 Vina Cobos Volturno, Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza $200
Iconic US Flight
2013 Louis M. Martini Lot 1 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, CA $145
2012 Silver Oak, Alexander Valley, Sonoma $70
2014 Ridge Estate, Santa Cruz Mountains $55
2013 JUSTIN, Isosceles Reserve, Paso Robles $70
2014 Peter Michael, Les Pavots, Knights Valley $230
2012 Leonetti Reserve, Walla Walla Valley $170
Napa Flight
2013 Louis M. Martini Lot 1 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, CA $145
2013 Dumn Vineyards, Howell Mountain, Napa Valley $150
2013 Robert Mondavi, To Kalon, Oakville $140
2013 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Cask 23, Stag’s Leap, CA $240
2013 Krupp Brothers Winery, M5, Napa Valley $200
2013 Chappellet, Pritchard Hill, Napa Valley $180