Martin Ray was a pioneer of California viticulture, right alongside legends like Don Chappellet and Robert Mondavi. Mentored by the legendary Paul Masson, he crafted single-variety wines from 1943–1972 at what is today the Mount Eden winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains. His wines were widely renowned and enjoyed by Presidents Johnson and Nixon.

Winemaker Courtney Benham has been working on wines like this since 1990. After finding some of Ray’s still-aging wine in a warehouse, Benham purchased the Martin Ray brand and set out to revive Ray’s mission of producing single-variety artisan wines, from a new home in Sonoma’s Russian River Valley.

The 2022 vintage brought intense heat to Rutherford during harvest—the kind that concentrates flavors and pushes wines toward extra richness and power. The result is a Cab with more flesh and spice than a cooler year might produce, and it shows.

If Martin Ray had the opportunity to taste a wine like this 2022 release, he’d be bowled over and proud. Benham and his team have harnessed the terroir to produce a richly textured Cabernet with cassis, blackcurrant, and dark chocolate complemented by notes of terra cotta, pine needles, and a savory resin undertone. The tannins are chewy and present, and a spicy, lingering finish ties it all together.

Aged for 18 months in 70% new French oak, this is drinking beautifully now and will reward patience through 2040. It’s one of the biggest steals you’ll find in Cabernet from a top-level Rutherford site.

About Martin Ray