ACCOLADES & PRESS • NEWS FROM THE VINEYARD

Accolades & Press

Marston Family Vineyard has received accolades online and/or in the following publications:
Benchmark Wine Group Bon Apetit Connoisseur’s Guide to California Wine Dean & Deluca Food & Wine Gourmet Hi-Time Wine Cellars Intermezzo Magazine International Wine Cellar Los Angeles Times Mark Bowery	Preisser (wine writers) The Press Democrat Robert Parker Online San Francisco Chronicle Sante Awards Vintrust Wine & Spirits Wine Business Wine Enthusiast Wine Spectator The Wine Advocate The Wine News
April 30, 2008 Napa Valley High: Mountains of Difference by Roger Dial. A recent comparative tasting of wines from the three Napa sub-appellations that comprise the Mayacamas Mountain range proved when it comes to Napa wines there are mountains of differences. Article (.pdf) December, 2007 The folks on Spring Mountain 'have to know what they're doing' by Alan Goldfarb. In the 13th part of Appellation America's "The Napa Valley Series", Alan Goldfarb investigates what makes the Spring Mountain District AVA unique among the other Napa sub-AVAs. The answers lay in the region's unique geographic based micro-climates as well in its variety of soils. Article (.pdf) go to top
Benchmark Wine Group 1999 Marston Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon “A killer new Cab from winemaker Philippe Melka who also makes Bryant, Quintessa, etc. Great stuff and refreshingly old-school, stylistically. That is: balanced, tannic, burly, with a serious core of cassis. No gooey oak, flabby texture or sour finish here. And 100% Cabernet! Think Heitz, Caymus, Diamond Creek, Beringer Private Reserve. An excellent keeper for the cellar. You could give it 25 years of life. The vineyard has a great history and no other Cabs we tasted were close to this one.”
Bon Appétit July 2006 What's Your Wine Personality? By Patrick Comisky The Three Chocolatiers Like Eve, this weakness has multiple personalities. There is Cocoa Puff, with its core of chewy spice, warm as a pot of Mexican chocolate. There is Colenol Starbuck, he of dark and terrifying visage, whose patina of espresso dust intensifies all he visits. And then there is the Milk Man, all Belgian smooth and yummy, all thick and melty in the mouth. No matter which face is showing, if chocolate is your weakness, these are happy times for you, for this guilty pleasure is common in the fusion of ripe red wine tannins and abundant French oak, leading to long and dangerously seductive finishes. It is likely to be an expensive habit as well, since chocolate is a common denominator in Cabernets and blends from the Napa Valley, one of the priciest regions in California... ...And for milk chocolate, good choices include...Marston Family Vineyard 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon ($80), both from Spring Mountain. go to top
Connoisseur’s Guide to California Wine December 2003, p. 23 One Puff | MARSTON Spring Mountain District 2000 “Showing no shortage of rich oak and as governed by ripeness as much as by fruit, this big, dense, wonderfully fleshy young Cabernet captures the kind of mass muscle missing in too many wines of the vintage. To be sure, it is not a wine of subtlety or grace, but neither is it defined by toughness and tannin, and its intensity, range and richness win it enthusiastic endorsement. A few years of age should bring it to its best, and its richenss begs service with savory lamb dishes.”
Dean & Deluca “Rare Wines from California’s Greatest Vineyards” catalog MARSTON FAMILY VINEYARD 2003 CABERNET SAUVIGNON, “a must-have wine”: The Marston family’s Spring Mountain estate could provide the fruit for thousands of cases of wine, but the Marstons (and star winemaker Philippe Melka) aren’t interested in quantity. A rigorous selection of their favorite lots results in only 500 cases of this sought-after wine for the world. Blockbuster Spring Mountain Cabernet, with layers upon layers upon layers of velvety black fruit and the structure to age for decades. Acclaimed by every wine critic, and very hard to find.
Food & Wine Magazine October 2004 — The Wine Issue Interview with Michael Marston about Spring Mountain (.pdf file) 20 Hottest Regions -Spring Mountain Bottles to buy -"The 2001 Marston Family Vineyard Cabernet $65 is a seductive wine that is loaded with sweet black-currant flavor and velvety tannins. October 2005, p. 122 American Wine Awards 2005 Winemaker of the Year: Philippe Melka Click on cover to view article Click on cover to view article         April 2006 Click on cover to view article California Cabernet Tasting Room “Insider’s Favorite” “Only the bestfruit from select blocks of Michael Marston’s 40 acre Spring Mountain vineyard are used for this powerful, multilayered red, its blockbuster fruit framed by firm but velvety tannins. - Ray Isle-Senior Editor The Buyer’s Guide to 75 of the Best California Wines Cabernet Sauvignon BY RAY ISLE The best and most expensive Cabernet Sauvignon in America, by and large, comes from Napa Valley. Other places grow great Cabernet—sites in Sonoma's Alexander Valley, for instance—but no other region produces Cabs of such consistency and sheer profundity. Cult bottlings like Screaming Eagle or Harlan Estate, along with a few of the amazing wines below and on the following page, are really only available at auctions and top restaurants. But the value wines we recommend are easy to find, and delicious. 2004 Marston Family Vineyard ($90) Aromas of eucalyptus and currants lead into a big, powerful, tannic Cabernet, full of spicy, even peppery blueberry and blackcurrant flavors. This is a seriously muscular wine…it's got so much substance behind the tannins that in a year or two it should settle down, then age beautifully after that. April 2001 pg. 116-119 A Star is Born by Tim Fish Robert Parker - Wine Critic - "Melka is quickly establishing a reputation as one of the finest winemakers in the Napa Valley." Melka-Made Greats, sidebar to A Star is Born go to top
Gourmet December 2006, page 256 Wine Advice by Gerald Asher “With our Christmas rib roast, I’m recommending the powerful but already accessible Marston Family Vineyard 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon. Marston’s current release is the ’03 , but the ’02 is already so much more advanced that it’s worth seeking out or ordering directly from the winery...”
Hi-Time Wine Cellars 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon - Spring Mountain “Only 600 Cases of this fabulous wine made. Ruby and purple in color. The wine possesses excellent concentration of sweet pliant fruit flavors, lovely middle palate texture and well integrated oak. A multilayered wine that is seamless, elegant, and impressive length. This is sure a Cabernet to achieve cult status.
Intermezzo Magazine March/April 2004 Click on cover to view article   A Vintner’s Dinner Interview with Michael Marston & Philippe Melka, Winemaker     go to top
International Wine Cellar Stephen Tanzer May/June 2006 & 2007 Good full medium ruby. Aromas of blackberry, cassis, licorice, violet and menthol, along with a distinctly rocky mountain wine quality.  Fat and lush on entry with briary berry and licorice flavors. Finishes with sightly rustic tannins and long.  Half of this wine was fermented in 400-liter barrels and then aged for 22 months. Stephen Tanzer-International Wine Cellar Review June 2006 2003 Marston Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon-Spring Mountain District 90+ Points Bright ruby, black cherry, licorice and a hint of eucalyptus on the nose.  Powerful and gripping in the mouth, with black fruit and violet flavors and a surprisingly suave texture.  Strong tannins arrive late.  A somewhat old fashioned, penetrating wine that will need four to five years of aging or may be decanted now. go to top
Where have all the honest Cabs gone? The bad press on overblown California Cabernets has intensified lately, but if you know where to look, you can still find great wines hiding in plain sight. By Patrick Comiskey Special to The Times January 3, 2007 THE wine was a youthful reddish purple, with aromas of cassis and red raspberry, a plush mid-palate and a rich finish of dark chocolaty oak. It was, in its way, delicious — and it made absolutely no impression. There were no rough edges, no distinguishing terroir flavors, little food-friendly acid and no Cabernet "grip" from tannin. It was about as challenging as a kitten or a chocolate-covered cherry. That bottle of 2004 St. Helena Winery "Sauvage" Napa Valley Cabernet seemed to embody everything that's wrong with many California Cabs these days. The complete article can be viewed at: http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-wine3jan03,1,2343245.story?coll=la-headlines-food June 21, 2006 By Patrick Comiskey Special to The Times Napa’s go-to virtuoso Winemaker Philippe Melka brings a meticulously gentle touch to some of the showiest cult Cabs. By the time Philippe Melka walks through the doors at 9:15 a.m. at Vineyard 29, he's already received about 20 phone calls and answered 10. He used to not answer his phone, hoping to return calls when he had a free moment, but lately those moments aren't easy to come by. The complete article can be viewed at: http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-wine21jun21,1,2074211.story?coll= la-headlines-food go to top
Mark Bowery Wine Consultant/Sommelier The dark ruby/purple tinged color is almost as enchanting as the intricate, multi-layered aromatics.  The complex nose features currant, blackberry and plum, along with notes of lavender, anise and mineral—all of which are echoed on the palate.  Intense and concentrated, this full-bodied wine proudly reveals its hillside heritage, while simultaneously offering rare definition, focus, and masculine poise.  While the tannins are indeed plentiful, they are ripe and in balance with the layers of fruit, insuring this well-proportioned Cabernet will age gracefully for the next 10 to 15 years.  I loved the past vintages, but this is arguably Marston’s best and most cellar-worthy yet.” Mark Bowery, formerly sommelier at Masa’s, is a wine consultant and six-time winner of the “California Wine Tasting Championships.”
IT’S TIME FOR WINE by Monty and Sara Preiser, Wine Writers Preisers’ Reserve: Recently, we had the pleasure of dining with Michael, Alexandra, and Elizabeth Marston at their magnificent Spring Mountain property, where the hundred year old farm style buildings have been maintained so that the compound of houses and ghost winery exteriors look as they did at the turn of the last Century. Approximately 50 hillside acres are planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah. The vineyard is cultivated by Beringer as one of their luxury wine division Private Reserve vineyards, and the winemaker for Marston Family Vineyard Cabernet is highly acclaimed, Philippe Melka. Quite a combination. As is so often true, Napa Valley Vintners are charming and wonderful hosts. Such was the case as we enjoyed Liz’ cooking (she does it all!), and the stories being told by Michael and Alexandra. And we fell in love with the wine. There isn’t much left, but you still may be able to find the 2003 Marston Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon ($90), a rich ruby colored wine with dark cherries and an anise nose, plums on the mid palate, a currant finish, and a body with elegance and structure. We have rarely seen a wine so highly rated by all critics. It deserves it. M arstonFamilyVineyard.com 707-963-8490
The Press Democrat January 25, 2006 Wine Country's Best Find Happy Home in SF (PDF)
Robert Parker-Online 2003 Marston Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon The 2003 is a huge, concentrated, inky blue/purple-tinged Cabernet Sauvignon revealing a sweet nose of acacia flowers intermixed with blueberries, minerals and underbrush.  A rich attack, this wine possesses outstanding potential.  The vineyard produces wines guided by well known Napa Valley wine guru, Philippe Melka.  Five hundred cases of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon produced. -Robert Parker (December 2005) go to top
Higher ground: Napa and Sonoma’s mountain vineyards produce Cabernets with desirable intensity by Tim Teichgraeber, Special to The Chronicle Friday, March 2, 2007 Click here for link to complete original article Click here to download a pdf of the complete article “…Marston Family Vineyard Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon ($90) Close to perfection. Packed with tremendously expressive cassis, boysenberry, dried herb, graphite, cedar, chocolate flavors, loam, ultra-ripe black cherry flavors and plenty of highly polished tannin. Just beginning to blossom, it should age beautifully.” December 2003 Winemakers to Watch “His specialty is red, Bordeaux style wines that accomplish the rare trick of being both big and subtle.” The Santé Gold Star Award This award recognizes wine, spirits and food of exceptional merit as chosen by restaurant professional reviewers.
VINTRUST SOMMELIER SELECTIONS SPRING 2007 Wine Reviews & Buying Guide 2003 MARSTON Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain Aroma: black currant, blueberry pie, cocoa Flavor: blueberry muffin, baking spice Structure: dark fruit, big tannins, structured Length: long length of dark fruit and grip Balance: wonderful balance of fruit and tannin DRINK: 2010-2018 94 Points Just 500 cases were produced of this youthful and age worthy Cabernet from east facing vineyards on Spring Mountain. This wine is a sleeping giant currently, filled with gobs of dark black fruit. go to top
Wine & Spirits February, 2003 . Red Cabernet Sauvignon 95 Points | Marston Family Vineyard $60 1999 Napa Valley - Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon “Glowing with a beautiful expression of the Napa Valley hills, this cabernet is deft as the wind through the old apple orchards. The heady, autumnal scents of chestnut honey and beeswax hover over a tight core of fruit, potent and unyielding, a thin black line of flavor that continnues on toward the horizon. Neither overly wooded or extracted, this feels natural in its own right, the structure built oout of the Spring Mountain soils. It's a classic to cellar for ten years or more.” December 2003 The Year’s Best Cabernet 95 Points | Marston Family Vineyard $60 . . . . 1999 Napa Valley - Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon Named Number One Cabernet out of 875 wines tasted.   “This glows with heady, autumnal scents of apple orchards, chestnut honey and beeswax all hovering over a tight core of fruit, potent and unyielding. It feels natural, a Spring Mountain classic to cellar for ten years or more.” Cabernet Issue, October 2004 93 Points Marston Family Vineyard, 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon . . . . December 2004 The Great Unknowns
Wine Business November 6, 2007 Spring Mountain AVA Keeps Marketing Focus Close to Home (link) Click HERE to download a pdf of the article . . . . go to top
Wine Enthusiast October 2004 93 Points Marston Family Vineyard, 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain District, Napa Valley
Wine Spectator April 30, 2000, pg. 72 Worth the Search by James Laube October 31, 2002 (Napa Issue) 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon - Spring Mountain Score: 90 | Marston Family Vineyard “Dense and tightly wound, with compact, concentrated currant, blackberry, herb, cedar and spice, turning elegant and firm on the finish. Best from 2004 through 2012. 500 Cases made.” James Laube July 31, 2003, p. 62 California’s New Faces: Pushing the Frontiers of Wine Philippe Melka: Stepping from Turley’s shadow         July 8, 2005 Online Edition & September 30, 2005 Click on cover to view article CALIFORNIA CABERNET: The 2002 Cabernets are proving to be as outstanding as expected. The strength of the 2002 California Cabernet vintage is reaffirmed with these star performances. –James Laube MARSTON FAMILY VINEYARD 2002 CABERNET SAUVIGNON             SPRING MOUNTAIN DISTRICT         93 Fans of dense, dark, muscular Cabernet will find this fascinating. For all its richness, intensity and concentration, this dark-hued young wine has a measure of elegance and finesse. The core black cherry, currant, mineral and fresh earth flavors are rich and compelling, finishing with a strong presence of tannins. Best from 2007 through 2013.  500 cases made. $80 –James Laube go to top
The Wine Advocate Robert Parker December 2007 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon (Barrel Sample). 94 points. The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon is even more impressive. The tannins are sweeter, the acids slightly lower, and the wine just oozing with black currant and blueberry fruit intermixed with hints of acacia flower, anise, and some underbrush. A wine of great intensity and beautiful purity in a flowery, mountain berry style, it is opulent, full-bodied, and long. This wine will be delicious upon release and drink gorgeously for 15+ years. RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 2009 Robert Parker December 2007 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon. 92-95 points. This winery on Spring Mountain owned by Michael & Alexandra Marston has been around for well over three decades, with the fruit sold primarily to Beringer. They are now estate bottling some of their wine, and we should all be thankful for that. There are about 500 cases of each of the following two wines. The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon is a beauty. Aged in 400-liter puncheons (as winemaker Philippe Melka believes the larger size helps tame some of the naturally high tannins from this mountain site), this wine exhibits a deep ruby color, a beautiful nose of melted licorice, spring flowers, cassis, and hints of blueberry and chocolate. It is elegant, full-bodied, refreshing, and intense. The wine was completely fermented and aged in puncheons before bottling.  It should drink nicely for at least 12-15+years. RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 2008 Robert Parker December 2005 The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon looks to be the finest given its overall equilibrium, sweet tannin, and plush, opulent personality, a characteristic of the vintage.  Medium to full-bodied with abundant quantities of blackberry and blueberry fruit intermixed with mineral and floral notes, this Cabernet combines charm, elegance, and finesse with power as well as a savory texture.  It should age well for a decade.  This vineyard is guided by well-known Napa Valley wine guru, Philippe Melka.  500 cases of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon are produced.      Robert Parker 2002 Cabernet A gem of a small producer.  Displays abundant ripeness and glycerin, nice texture, outstanding potential. Capable of lasting 12-15 years.
The Wine News February/March 2003 Marston Family 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon - Spring Mountain, Napa Valley 91 Points | Marston Family Vineyard “Blue-black hue with a garnet rim. Spicy scents of black plum, blackberry, maple, new oak, cinnamon and mint. Tight, youthful flavors of black currant, black cherry, chocolate, tabaccoand toasted oak. Youthful finishrife with promise.” August/September 2004 95 Points Marston Family Vineyard, 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain District, Napa Valley Black-garnet hue. Fragrant scents of plum, cherry blossom, milk chocolate, mint, earth and iodine. Dense flavors of blackberry, blueberry, pencil lead, rum cake, mocha and oak that display impeccable balance. Notes of fruit and earth frame the long, spicy close. $65 August/September 2005 Click on cover to view article Marston Family Vineyard, 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain District, Napa Valley 97 PUBLISHER’S PICK The panel awarded the 2001 95 points, yet the ‘02 is even better. Inky, intense purple hue. Bursts of mint and blueberry aromas followed by plum, coconut and olive scents. A prototypical mountain Cab with layers of cherry, plum, and mineral flavors that kept improving with air.  Polished tannins and crisp acids elevate the hillside fruit. $80/500 cases December/January 2007 -08 California's Best of 2007 Top Ten Cabernets of the Year Marston Family Vineyard, 2004 Proprietor Grown, Spring Mountain District - $90: Classic hillside fruit emitting intense aromas and flavors of plum and blueberry with sweet, combed tannins. This is a fruit-driven Cab with a combination of heft and staying power - BL's highest-rated (94 points) Cabernet of 2007. (500 cases) October/November 2007 94 Marston, 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mt. District, Napa Valley Classic hillside fruit emitting intense aromas and flavors of plum and blueberry with sweet, combed tannins. This is a fruit-driven Cab with a combination of heft and staying power. $90   The Flowering of Spring Mountain By Jeff Cox The Wine News June/July 2007 Click on cover to view pdf of article ; click on photo to enlarge it.   Marston Family Vineyard, 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain, Napa Valley - $90: Its vineyards face southeast on the lower slopes of Spring Mountain, producing big wines with aromas of berries, wildflowers and forest floor. The palate brims with dark berry fruit and flavors of black currant, violet, acacia and blueberry. Complex, well-structured tannins and a long finish. This wine will age well for many years. Score: 91 go to top

 

News From the Vineyard

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2006 — Marston Family Vineyard has been accepted into the California Cabernet Society & will be pouring at their Consumer Tasting at Culinary Institute at Greyston. See Tastings for more information.

July, 2005 — Press Release: Elizabeth Marston has joined our team at Marston Family Vineyard as Director of Public Relations (pdf file).

September, 2003 — Release of Marston Family Vineyard 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon.

May 15, 2003 — Press Release: The Salon at Marston (pdf file).

November, 2002 — Release of our second vintage, Marston Family Vineyard 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon.

Fall, 2001 — Release of our 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon.

October 1, 2001 — Our web site was launched.