Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley 2013

95 Points - Wine Review Online.com: -The dark purplish-red hue of our Louis M. Martini Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is indicative of its decadent blueberry and black cherry aromas and flavors. Notes of smoky cedar, dried herbs and licorice unfold around this wine’s assertive tannins that will soften with age. Rich and well-structured with a long, lingering finish, this wine is an ideal complement to earthy dishes, wild game and red meats.A majority of the fruit is sourced from our Al exander Valley vineyard, which is a warmer climate growing area that produces some of the world’s most beautiful expressions of Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes were harvested in the early morning to keep the fruit as cool as possible before fermenta tion. Grapes were destemmed but not crushed, leaving greater than 90% whole berries for fermentation. The Cabernet Sauvignon juice was fermented in stainless steel upright fermenters with a temperature range between 88°F - 90°F, receiving extende d skin contact for 14 to 21 days for maximum extraction of color and flavor. To ensure the development of desired flavor and aroma characteristics, the juice was inoculated with the yeast strain and 100% of the wine completed malolactic fermentation. The wine was aged for 16 months in new and used French, American and Hungarian oak barrels with a mixture of heavy, medium and medium-plus toasting levels to add additional flavor and complexity prior to bottling.