Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon The Gryphon 2023 750ml

Name: Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon The Gryphon 2023 750ml
Brand: Louis M. Martini
SKU: 1028556
Price: 67.2 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 94 (4 reviews)

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SKU 1028556

$67.20/bottle

3 in stock

Availability: There are 3 bottles available for Rapid Shipment or in-store pick up at our location in Ballston Lake, N.Y. Additional bottles of this product are available for online ordering and can be picked up or shipped from our location within 4-6 business days. See FAQ for more.

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DC 97pts

JS 95pts

WA 92pts

VM 92pts

See professional reviews

Winemaker Zach Watkins tells me that all the vineyards they source across Napa Valley, including their single-vineyard sites, are ultimately destined either for the individual vineyard bottlings or for The Gryphon, their new flagship blend. In the 2023 vintage, the fruit came from William Hill in Napa, with equal portions from Monte Rosso, Stagecoach, Bruadair, and Limitless, alongside contributions from several long-time grower partners. Anchored in southern Napa, with a lift of mountain fruit from these single-vineyard sites, the wine was fermented in stainless steel and aged for 19 months in 48% new French barriques. Is this the Louis M. Martini wine of the 1960s – a Cabernet built for the table, with food in mind? With tannins that are firm, ripe and beautifully balanced, and acidity that’s present but never overwhelming – supportive, rather than dominant, and clearly geared towards long-term ageing – it certainly feels that way. This is super-classic Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon: inky black-fruited yet bright, layered with sagebrush, tobacco, violets and loamy earth. It’s fresh, inviting and deeply layered, with a velvety texture and slightly rustic tannins, all sharpened and focused by a graphite-driven mineral character. The lift, energy and freshness here are off the charts. So structured, so vibrant – what a wonderful direction for this wine.

Country: United States
Region: California
Appellation: Napa Valley

Size: 750ml
Color: Red
Alcohol by Vol: 14.8%

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SKU: 1028556

More about this item

Winery

Louis M. Martini

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Varietal

Cabernet Sauvignon

By far and away the most recognized and widely grown red wine grape varietal in the world is the Cabernet Sauvignon. First cultivated in the 18th century in France, this wonderful cross of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc grapes has long since been the most important varietal for red wines across the globe. Now grown everywhere from its native France to the furthest reaches of the New World, Cabernet Sauvignon is adored and prized by wineries for its hardiness and resistance to rot, as well as its large and sharp flavors and wonderful capability for fine aging Indeed, many of the finest wines of history and the modern age would be simply unimaginable without Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, with the famed wineries of Bordeaux and other important regions using it as the primary grape in their oak aged produce. High tannin levels, acidity and powerful flavors are the characteristics most commonly associated with this varietal, however, when blended and slowly aged, it is capable of a world of flavors and aromas unmatched by any other grape.

Country

United States

Of all the New World wine countries, perhaps the one which has demonstrated the most flair for producing high quality wines - using a combination of traditional and forward-thinking contemporary methods - has been the United States of America. For the past couple of centuries, the United States has set about transforming much of its suitable land into vast vineyards, capable of supporting a wide variety of world-class grape varietals which thrive on both the Atlantic and the Pacific coastlines. Of course, we immediately think of sun-drenched California in regards to American wines, with its enormous vineyards responsible for the New World's finest examples of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot based wines, but many other states have taken to viticulture in a big way, with impressive results. Oregon, Washington State and New York have all developed sophisticated and technologically advanced wine cultures of their own, and the output of U.S wineries is increasing each year as more and more people are converted to their produce.

Region

California

California as a wine producing region has grown in size and importance considerably over the past couple of centuries, and today is the proud producer of more than ninety percent of the United States' wines. Indeed, if California was a country, it would be the fourth largest producer of wine in the world, with a vast range of vineyards covering almost half a million acres. The secret to California's success as a wine region has a lot to do with the high quality of its soils, and the fact that it has an extensive Pacific coastline which perfectly tempers the blazing sunshine it experiences all year round. The winds coming off the ocean cool the vines, and the natural valleys and mountainsides which make up most of the state's wine regions make for ideal areas in which to cultivate a variety of high quality grapes.

Appellation

Napa Valley

When it comes to New World wines, and especially wines from the United States of America, Napa Valley is something of a standard bearer. Over its relatively short history, it has managed to transform itself from being a fairly insignificant region, to becoming one of the most important and highly regarding wine locations on earth. With an ideal climate for viticulture, blazing sunshine and a low level of rainfall, this valley is shielded on many sides by mountain ranges which help it maintain a consistent level of heat, light and moisture throughout the year. Today, Napa Valley is a home of innovation and quality, with dozens of grape varietals thriving in the fertile soils. However, the main varietals grown there have always been Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Zinfandel, and the wines they produce are constantly lauded by critics and competitions across the globe.

Ratings & Reviews

DC 97pts

Decanter

JS 95pts

James Suckling

So lush, broad, luxurious and flavorful, this red is laden with black cherries, baked blueberries and baking spices on a velvety, tannic frame. Gorgeous, concentrated flavors of spearmint, cassis and cocoa expand on the palate and linger in the finish. Drink now or hold.

WA 92pts

Wine Advocate

Louis Martini's workhorse wine (close to 6,000 cases produced) is now the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon The Gryphon, as the entry-level Napa and Sonoma Cabernets have been discontinued. A blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec and 4% Merlot, about two-thirds of the blend comes from southern Napa, with 22% from mountain sites and 10% from Calistoga. Blueberries, cassis and vanilla mark the nose, while the medium- to full-bodied palate is framed by fine-grained tannins, with a long, silky finish.

VM 92pts

Vinous Media

The 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon The Gryphon is aromatic and punchy, both of which make it quite appealing in the early going. Blackberry, cloves, licorice and espresso build nicely in the glass. This deceptively medium-bodied wine has a lot to offer. Dollops of Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Merlot round out the blend. Give the tannins a year or two to soften.