Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County 2012: Dark crimson color; subdued nose, hint of cedar;
concentrated fruit, black cherry, raspberry, blackcurrant, plum jam, spice; medium body, smooth, supple tannin, silky (3.8 pH) mouthfeel; dense and delicious. Louis Martini makes some of the best cab buys in California at this price point, and does in impressive quantity—more than 400,000 cases—so it should be easy to find. This is mostly cab (87%) with some petite sirah thrown in (likely for color), plus some zin, merlot, and cab franc to round out this savory easy drinker. Martini is classic Sonoma-Napa maker you sometimes forget about, then you taste what a splendid job they do and kick yourself for not consistently having a few of their bottles in the wine rack. Founded in 1933, it is now led by third-generation vintner Mike Martini. Founder Louis M. Martini’s grape legacy goes back to 1911, when he made wine in a rented facility. During Prohibition, he produced sacramental and medicinal wine, as well as grape concentrate for legal in-home winemaking. The L.M. Martini Grape Products Company came to Napa in 1933 and became one of the original five Napa post-Prohibition wineries. They added acreage in Sonoma’s Mayacama Mountains in 1938. The Martini family owned and innovated until 2002, when the Gallo family purchased the winery and vineyards, but kept Martini personnel in the mix. The result is range of superb wines rooted in two iconic family traditions. $16