2013 Martin Ray Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon

Martin Ray, a stockbroker with a passion for wine and winemaking, owned Paul Masson winery from 1936 to 1943, then started his own Martin Ray vineyard and winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains, where his Cabernet Sauvignons, Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs became legendary. Ray was one of the first California vintners to plant those grapes and to adopt French winemaking practices. When Ray’s partnership with his investors soured in the 1960s, the property was divided and the investors took over the upper portion of the estate, renaming it Mount Eden Vineyards. Ray took the lower half of the property. He died in 1976 but his family retained the rights to his label and a number of notable Napa Valley winemakers crafted Martin Ray wines in the following years. In 1990 Napa Valley wine entrepreneur Courtney Benham purchased the Martin Ray name. Benham now makes wines under the Martin Ray label at a Sebastopol facility.

Atlas Peak AVA is perched above the Stags Leap AVA to the northeast of the city of Napa. Elevation ranges from 760 to 2,600 feet, and temperatures are up to 15 degrees cooler in the Atlas Peak vineyards compared with vineyards in the valley. There are 1,500 vineyard acres planted primarily to Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. The appellation was named for Atlas Peak, which, at 2,633 feet above sea level, is the highest peak in the area.

One of the most widely grown grape varieties, it can be found in nearly every wine growing region. A cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. It’s a hardy vine that produces a full-bodied wine with high tannins and great aging potential.