Louis Martini Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Tasting Date: 4/4/2012
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvagnon
Country: USA, California, Napa
Tasting Date Price: $25.49
Rating: 88 WS
Alcohol Content: 14.5%
Vineyard Website: http://www.louismartini.com
Visual Aspect: Deep burgundy color
Nose: Cassis, sweet herbs with hits of pipe tobacco
Palate: Ripe black cherries with old world complexities that linger
Food Pairing: Casseroles and stews, chateaubriand, cheeseburgers, beef stroganov, rare roast beef, lamb dishes , game (venison, partridge, ostrich, pheasant) and cheeses
Wine Description
WS 2008 88 Well-made & tightly knit, w/subtle plum & cherry flavors woven w/ notes of mineral, cedar & dried herbs. Full-bodied, ending w/ a complex finish.
Winemaker Notes: Deep garnet color w/ intense aromas of ripe cherry, cedar, & pipe tobacco. Concentrated flavors of ripe plums & dark bing cherries marry perfectly w/ oak nuances, imparting notes of brown spice & vanilla. Well structured & balanced w/ firm, velvety tannins which culminate in a long, elegant finish w/ hints of tobacco, dried herbs & fruit. Ready to enjoy now or can be aged for 3-5 years.
The Louis M. Martini Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from vineyards up and down the Napa Valley. This wine exhibits a deep burgundy color with intense aromas of cassis, sweet herbs and hints of pipe tobacco. Intriguing flavors of ripe black cherries, deep, briary red fruits, and old world complexities linger throughout the finish. This is a well structured and balanced wine that is medium-to-full-bodied and is ready to enjoy now or can be aged up to 5 years.
In The Vineyard
Spring of 2009 was warm and dry with an early bud break. We had a moderate growing season causing slow ripening which led to the development of full flavors. Although harvest was slow to start in the Napa Valley, warmer temperatures in August accelerated the last days of the maturation process.
In The Cellar
The 2009 Louis M. Martini Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon delivers some of the highest quality fruit from premium Napa Valley vineyards. The wine grapes were picked in the early morning hours to keep the fruit as cool as possible prior to fermentation. The grapes were then destemmed, but not crushed, leaving primarily whole berries in the stainless steel upright fermentors. Once the must was inoculated with the Bordeaux yeast strain, it fermented in temperatures controlled between 88°F – 90°F and received skin contact for 14 to 21 days for maximum extraction. After primary fermentation was completed, 100% of the wine underwent secondary, or malolactic, fermentation. The wine was racked as needed for a total of three times prior to bottling. The wine was oak aged in a mix of French and American oak barrels to add additional flavor and complexity.
