Martin Woods
- 200-400 Cases Micro Lots from Cool Sites
- Burgundian Approach
- A Focus on the Specific Terroir of Each Site
- Stunning Levels of Precision (Works Great With Dry Riesling)
- Not Trying to Please the Average American Palate AT ALL
2019 Martin Woods Pinot Noir Hyland Vineyard
- His Chambolle-Musigny Vineyard
- Nose: Stunning Aromas
- Sweet and Spicy Red Cherries
- Strawberry. Blackberry
- Deep and Penetrating
- World Class Clarity
- So Complex and Expansive
- So Refined and Gorgeous
- Deep Fruit and a Lipstick-Like Intensity
- Palate is Awesome
- Elegant and Refined
- Top Notch Energy and Linearity
- Tiny Cherry Berry Fruit Intensity
- Concentrated and Super Complex
2019 Martin Woods Cabernet Franc Walla Walla Valley
- The Best Example of Domestic Cabernet Franc I've Tasted
- As Good as Much of the Roches Neuves Lineup
- Nose: Incredible
- Smells Like if Foillard made a Cabernet Franc
- Sick Florals
- Gorgeous Red and Black Berry Fruit
- NO New Oak
- 92 Points WA, Erin Brooks
- Palate: So Refined, So Elegant and So Juicy
- Explosive and Pure Blackberry and Red Berry Fruit
- Slap Roches Neuves on the Label and This is a $65 Wine
I'm making wines for the geeks, the people in the trade, the winemakers, the people who love, appreciate and really get wine." - Evan Martin
Martin Woods - A Man and His Vineyards
In the United States, we are so accustomed to thinking about the style of winemakers and often not much else. In Europe, of course, any discussion of a winemaker is intertwined with the vineyards where they work.
And so we spend a lot of time looking overseas for wine that reflects terroir. And rightly so. But here, under our noses in Oregon is a winemaker who is terroir focused, who is dedicated to giving us wines that are of a similar approach but all different.
I know that many of our Burgundy lovers are starting to love the wines of Martin Woods. I decided to give a quick rundown of his Pinot Noir vineyards. If you love Burgundy, you should try them all.
Jessie James Vineyard is the Romanee Conti as if it had a magic you can not put your finger on. It’s energetic, structured, silky and sweet and easily the most compact and complete wine in the lineup.
Bednarik Vineyard is the La Tache with its super hedonistic fruit and its seemingly unlimited supply of energy. It i sapid and has brilliant tiny berry fruit intensity.
Hyland (today's vineyard) is the Chambolle-Musigny as it has profound sweet fruit allied with a haunting ethereal quality that is unmatched in the lineup.
The Wines
The 2019 Martin Woods Pinot Noir “Hyland Vineyard” can be had for $47.99 a bottle today and it’s just a stunning stunning bottle of Pinot. Of course it can age but If there is a Pinot in the lineup to drink young it is this one.
Stunning aromas. Sweet and spicy red cherries. Strawberry. Blackberry. Deep penetrating aromas with world class clarity. Spice cake. Angel food cake. Elite bubble gum. Herbs. So complex and expansive. Mid season cherry, smoke, herbs, deep fruit, tea, spice and just the most perfect sour cherry. This is so refined and gorgeous. The refinement of the aromas only grows with air. So so fine. As it airs the florals become wacky. Deep fruit and a lipstick-like intensity. Also some dark ripe black and red plums develop. After some air gorgeous florals develop on the nose. Nose has deep Xmas spice on the second pour. Gorgeous and so so deep. Day 2 even better! A gorgeous deep nose of spice and minerals. Really deep cherry and cranberry. Strawberry.
Palate is awesome. Palate is elegant and refined with intense sour cherry fruit and substantial structure and tannins. The energy and linearity are top notch. Really fine. Such terrific tiny cherry berry fruit intensity. Concentrated and super complex with terrific purity and freshness. The freshness and energy here are top top notch. Awesome velvety tannins andjuicy, tart cherry fruit with just huge volume and density but so fine and refined. Massive tiny berry fruit intensity builds on the finish. Really light color like a Bertheau Chambolle. Decadent sweetness and so compact and fresh but finishes with that tart tiny berry fruit intensity and almost a hit of cherry gumdrop. Just so pure. A genius wine.
On day 2, palate is juicy, loosey-goosey, Lacey and ethereal. So finesse-driven today. Juicy, clean and ripe, super mineral driven. Great. Drink now until 2040.
The second wine is a wine that I hope will become a Fass Selections core wine. Of the Cabernet Franc we sell, all of it is French and most of it is expensive. Between $60-$90 is the average of all the Loire Cabernet Franc we have sold and we maybe offer it 3-7 times a year. It's not our game but if we do sell it it will be the best examples and that's what Domaine des Roches Neuves is.
Most domestic Cabernet Franc that I have tasted has been overwhelmingly, big, rich and oaky. This generally true in Washington/Oregon and especially California. These wines are nothing like the Loire Cabernet Francs that we sell. I could never ever tell that they actually were Cabernet Franc as they were so "extra" that the varietal character has been completely eliminated. It was always Very Rich, Very Dark, Very Oaky Red Wine. Today that is not the case.
I believe today's wine is the best example of domestic Cabernet Franc that I've tasted. It is a profound wine of amazing depth, character and that extra 5% new world richness that makes it profound. This wine is a bananas deal. The 2019 Martin Woods Cabernet Franc Walla Walla Valley can be had for $37.99 a 4-pack is just an incredible deal for an incredible wine. This is the best domestic Cabernet Franc I've ever had and the value here is insane. As good as much of the Roches Neuves lineup. I gave this a 9.5 on Delectable. That is a major score by me for a random Cabernet Franc from the Walla Walla Valley.
The nose is incredible. It smells like if Foillard made a Cabernet Franc. Sick florals. Like OMG florals. Nose is huge cassis and a wonderful herbal complexity. Sweet spices and hints of sweet oolong tea. Very complex and very aromatic. Wow the spice is just crazy. It’s so focused and vibrant. Clove, cinnamon, some sort of incense. 9.6. Nose. Out of this world. Gorgeous red and black berry fruit and lovey hint of wonderful sweet herbs. It is such a deep and enveloping aroma that it is almost too intoxicating. Just a total wow nose. Truly amazing. You can sniff so so hard and more and more aroma arrives in your nose. Just stunning. 9.6 nose. Really stunned. Confectionary as well. This is one of those wines that when you smell it you know is an elite wine. There is no hesitation.
The palate is so refined, so elegant and so juicy. Loads of explosive and pure blackberry and red berry fruit and gorgeous sweet herbs. Just extraordinary. It's medium bodied and insanely fresh, with such refined, ripe and substantial tannins. So pure. What balance. 40% whole cluster fermentation here with loess soils.
What a long incredible finish and the fruit just sticks to the back of the palate. A truly brilliant wine. As it airs it only fills out more and more to the point you cannot believe that this is $35 bottle of domestic Cabernet Franc. Slap Roches Neuves on the label and this is a $65 wine. There is no doubt In my mind.
"Medium ruby, the 2018 Cabernet Franc has a nose of red and black berries, prosciutto, earth and dried herbs. The palate is medium-bodied, grainy and fresh with an appealing meatiness and lifted finish.."- 92 Points, Wine Advocate, Erin Brooks (2018)
2019 Martin Woods Pinot Noir Hyland Vineyard - $49.99
($191.96 4-Pack)
2019 Martin Woods Cabernet Franc - $39.99 ($151.96 4-Pack)
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