Martin Ray estate spotlight
A brief look inside Martin Ray’s historic Laguna Ridge winery in the heart of the Russian River Valley.
2022 Martin Ray Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon
Volcanic benchland Cabernet with dark fruit, dusty spice, and enough savory structure to stay poised at the table.
A 94-point Rutherford Cabernet at $37.50 is the reason to stop here. Martin Ray’s 2022 Reserve carries ripe blackberry, cherry and plum through dusty spice, savory herbs and a grippy, vibrant finish, while the six-bottle tier cuts today’s single-bottle price in half.
$225 for the six-bottle allocation
Rutherford detail, built into the wine.
The vineyard source and cellar choices explain why this Cabernet feels generous without losing its outline.
Benchland Source
Gravel, loam and volcanic deposits meet steady sun exposure, building the dusty, savory Rutherford character beneath the fruit.
Single-Variety Focus
Cabernet Sauvignon stands alone here, so its currant, plum, herb and cedar profile arrives without a blending grape changing the shape.
2022 Balance
Low yields produced a lively, fruit-forward wine whose tannin and acidity keep the ripe core controlled rather than heavy.
Cellar Definition
Open-top fermentation and measured new French oak give the fruit a firmer frame, seasoned spice and a long, plush finish.
A 94-point reading of Rutherford.
James Suckling’s exact-vintage review emphasizes the wine’s savory detail and composed tannin rather than simple ripeness.
What does Rutherford Cabernet look like at 61% below its $95 storefront anchor?
$37.50 per bottle, 61% below the exact product page’s current $95 Winery Price.
At $37.50 per bottle, the six-bottle allocation totals $225. The $95 comparison is the current Winery Price displayed on the exact ShopWineSlash product page for the exact ShopWineSlash product page (opens in a new tab); the official Martin Ray tech sheet for the official Martin Ray tech sheet (opens in a new tab) supplies the producer, vintage, and winemaking context.
The 6+ tier preserves the exact wine and vintage while moving the unit price below both storefront references.
Secure the 6+ tier, or add six more bottles to reach the 12+ free-shipping path.
Secure Your AllocationDark fruit with a dusty, savory turn.
The wine moves from ripe berries into spice, herbs and oak, then finishes with grip, lift and plush persistence.
Budbreak arrived in early March, followed by a cool, wet late spring and an early harvest beginning in late July. Low yields gave the wines lively fruit, balanced tannin and enough freshness to hold their shape.
Blackberry, mulberry, cherry and plum form the ripe core, with dusty cinnamon and clove adding aromatic lift.
Grippy but elegant tannin surrounds a juicy center, while vibrant acidity carries dried herbs, black pepper and earth.
Cedar and toasted oak settle into a long, plush finish that remains savory, composed and clearly outlined.
Keith Emerson brings Napa precision to Rutherford.
Martin Ray’s consulting winemaker reads the vineyard first, then uses extraction and French oak to give that fruit a frame without sanding away its origin.
The Napa eye: Keith Emerson joined Martin Ray as consulting winemaker in 2013 after Cakebread, Gundlach Bundschu and a long run at Vineyard 29, where he worked under Philippe Melka. That pedigree matters most in the vineyard: Emerson knows the growers and parcels that can carry real Rutherford character.
The light hand: A four-day cold soak and two weeks of hand punch-downs in open-top fermenters build color and grip gradually. The fruit arrives saturated, but the tannin feels drawn, not forced.
Oak as architecture: Eighteen months in 70% new French oak is serious élevage. Emerson uses it as architecture, not makeup: cinnamon, clove, cedar and toast frame the Cabernet while earth, dried herbs and Rutherford dust stay recognizable. That sense of realness is the signature.
One California name, two sides of the Mayacamas.
Courtney Benham built Martin Ray around cool-site precision. Keith Emerson brings the elite-wine sensibility he sharpened just over the Mayacamas into the Napa vineyards he knows from the inside.
In 1943, Martin Ray began championing single-varietal, region-specific wines from the Santa Cruz Mountains. His Saratoga work, shaped by mentor Paul Masson, helped establish a California language of site before that idea became commonplace.
Decades later, Courtney Benham discovered 1,500 cases in a San Jose warehouse and acquired the Martin Ray name. From the winery’s Russian River home, he built a range that moves confidently from cool-climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to serious Napa Cabernet.
That leap works because Benham brings the reach and Emerson brings the Napa network. The Rutherford program has historically tapped Beckstoffer Melrose Vineyard and other A-list sites; for 2022, Martin Ray identifies volcanic benchland vineyards east of the Mayacamas rather than a named parcel.
Bring the tannin to something savory.
Rich beef or an earthy pastry gives this Cabernet’s dark fruit, herbs and cedar a natural place to land.
Two savory dishes offer distinct routes into this Cabernet’s dark fruit and structured finish.
Give the wine a generous glass and pour it alongside the first savory course; its acidity and tannin work best with food.
Red-Wine-Braised Short Ribs with Mashed Potatoes
Tom Colicchio’s slow-braised beef brings depth, gloss and tenderness, with mashed potatoes catching every part of the sauce.
Why it works: Beef richness meets the wine’s grippy tannin, while red-wine glaze, thyme and vegetables echo its dark fruit, herbs and spice.
View Recipe for Red-Wine-Braised Short Ribs with Mashed Potatoes (opens in a new tab)
Mushroom and Stilton Wellingtons
Golden pastry encloses mushroom, spinach and Stilton for a meat-free plate with enough richness to stand beside Cabernet.
Why it works: Pastry and Stilton soften the structure, while mushroom, spinach and thyme connect directly to the wine’s earth, cedar and dried-herb notes.
View Recipe for Mushroom and Stilton Wellingtons (opens in a new tab)A Rutherford Cabernet worth making room for.
Few Cabernets show Rutherford’s dusty, savory register this clearly while remaining so easy to place beside dinner.
Pour it with braised beef or a mushroom-rich pastry and let the savory notes meet the plate.
James Suckling marks the wine as drink or hold, giving you room to split the allocation between now and later.
The 6+ level sets the bottle at $37.50; add six more when the 12+ free-shipping path fits your order.
This vintage turns volcanic benchland fruit and disciplined cellar work into a Cabernet with a clear sense of place. Secure your allocation.
