MAZE ROW RARE WINES
Limited and allocated releases from our domestic estates and import imprint, Maze Row.
FEATURED DOMESTIC MAZE ROW
LOUIS M. MARTINI / NAPA
LOT NO. 1
Louis M. Martini’s flagship bottling is this powerful single-vineyard-style Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from a mosaic of elite Napa Valley sites including Stagecoach, Coombsville, Mount Veeder, Howell Mountain, and Calistoga.
The concept of Lot No. 1 traces back to the 1950s, when founder Louis M. Martini developed the practice of tasting through barrels in the cellar and setting aside the most exceptional lots. These were blended into a single wine meant to represent the pinnacle of the estate’s craft — a tradition carried through three generations of the Martini family.
Current winemaker Zach Watkins inherited that legacy and has continued to refine it. The 2013 vintage brought the wine to international prominence, earning a perfect 100-point score from Robert Parker — cementing Lot No. 1 as one of Napa’s benchmark Cabernets.
RECENT VINTAGES:
v23: 97 points, Vinous • 92-94 points, Wine Advocate
v21: 96 points, Vinous • 95 points, Wine Advocate
GRAPES 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
VINEYARDS Top sites throughout Napa Valley
FERMENTATION Spontaneous in small open tanks
AGING 19 months in mostly new barriques
FINISHING Filtered, fined
PRODUCTION ~9,600 bottles; six-pack cardboard shipper
MASSICAN / NAPA
HYDE
Massican’s lone single-vineyard bottling comes from largely from a Musqué clone parcel planted in 1992 at the famed Hyde Vineyard in Carneros.
While Hyde has long supplied California’s most opulent Chardonnay producers, Dan Petroski runs counter to the site’s reputation: picking early, aging a relatively brief 6 months in 100% new French oak, and bottling unfined and unstabilized — a restrained, mineral-driven expression closer in spirit to Chablis than to Carneros.
He first released it as a standalone wine with the 2014 vintage.
GRAPES 100% Chardonnay
VINEYARDS Hyde Vineyard, Napa
FERMENTATION Fermented in 300L new French oak
AGING 6 months in 300L new French oak
FINISHING Filtered, unfined
PRODUCTION ~7,000 bottles; twelve-pack cardboard shipper
RECENT VINTAGES:
v24: 95 points, Suckling • 93 points, Wine Spectator • 93 points, Vinous
v23: 95 points, Decanter • 94 points, Suckling • 93 points, Wine Spectator
PAHLMEYER / NAPA
PROPRIETARY RED
Pahlmeyer’s Proprietary Red is a Napa Valley Bordeaux blend with one of the valley’s more unlikely origin stories: founder Jayson Pahlmeyer, a trial attorney, personally smuggled Bordeaux clones into California in the early 1980s and planted them on a Coombsville property.
Randy Dunn crafted the debut vintage, and the wine has since passed through an unusually distinguished succession of winemakers, including Helen Turley, before landing with current winemaker Katie Vogt.
Today, it’s a mountain-fruit blend drawn from top vineyard sites like Waters Ranch, Upper Range, and Stagecoach
GRAPES Primarily Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot & Cabernet Franc
VINEYARDS Top mountain sites in Napa
FERMENTATION Fermented in stainless steel
AGING 18 months in primarily new barriques
FINISHING Unfined, unfiltered
PRODUCTION ~15,000 bottles; six-pack cardboard shipper
RECENT VINTAGES:
v23: 98 points, Suckling • 96-98 points, Wine Advocate • 96 points, Vinous
v22: 95 points, Decanter • 93-95 points, Wine Spectator • 94 points, Wine Advocate
SELECTIONS
FROM MAZE ROW
ALLEGRINI / VALPOLICELLA FIERAMONTE
Allegrini’s top bottling is this powerful single-vineyard Amarone Riserva, grown in a 6ha vineyard in the foothills of the pre-alps, overlooking the valley of Fumane in Valpolicella Classico. The vineyard soars to 430m asl with a southeastern exposure that brings power in the finished wine.
As a piece of land, the Fieramonte vineyard had been in the Allegrini family for generations; Giovanni Allegrini planted grapes on the property and from it produced the estate’s first single-vineyard expression, released with the 1980 vintage.
Giovanni died in 1983, and the vineyard was scrapped after the 1985 vintage as it succumbed to disease. Giovanni’s son, late winemaker Franco Allegrini, revived the vineyard, replanting it in 2003 with the intention of creating a heritage style of Amarone, a nod to his ambitious father.
VINEYARDS Single Vineyard;
FERMENTATION Spontaneous in stainless steel; Appassimento for 90-120 days
AGING 4 years in new barriques (low toast)
FINISHING Filtered, fined
PRODUCTION ~5,000 bottles and only in top vintages; three-pack wood case
RECENT VINTAGES:
v18: 97 points, Decanter • 96 points, Wine Spectator • 96 points, Vinous • 96 points, Suckling
v16: 100 points, Vinous • 97 points, Vinous • 96 points, Wine Advocate • 95 points, Wine Spectator
GRAPES Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, Oseleta
6ha in the subzone of Fumane, Valpolicella Classico; Calcareous Clay; 430m asl; Guyot
ALLEGRINI / VALPOLICELLA
LA POJA
The top expression of Allegrini’s ‘cru’ wines, planted in 1979 at the top of the hill of La Grola in the subzone of Sant’Ambrogio. A “cru within a cru,” the La Poja vineyard is a diamond shaped 2.65ha plateau with chalky soils, planted entirely to the region’s noble grape: Corvina.
This was a passion project of Giovanni Allegrini; he wanted to prove Valpolicella’s capacity to make great wines of terroir. La Poja was the first commercially released 100% Corvina wine (these were also some of the first Corvina vines to be planted to Guyot).
Still today, it’s rare to find varietal Corvina that hasn’t undergone the appassimento process. La Poja offers an opportunity to taste the grape in a “pure” form, albeit from a truly powerful site.
GRAPES Corvina (100%)
VINEYARDS 2.65ha parcel within the La Grola cru, subzone of Sant’Ambrogio, Valpolicella Classico; Calcareous clay; 330m asl; Guyot
FERMENTATION Spontaneous in stainless steel
AGING
20 months in new barriques (Allier); 8 months in large Slavonian cask; 10 months in bottle
FINISHING Filtered, fined
PRODUCTION ~13,000 bottles; six-pack wood case
RECENT VINTAGES: v19: 95 points, Vinous • 95 points, Suckling
ARGIANO / MONTALCINO
VIGNA DEL SUOLO
In 2012, Argiano commissioned a series of soil surveys that confirmed what they already suspected; the 55+ year old vines of the estate’s Suolo vineyard had burrowed deep through dense clay into significant limestone, giving wine from this parcel incredible depth of character, even at extremely low yields (about 25 hl per ha). Further studies revealed something even more amazing: the clone of Sangiovese growing in this vineyard was unknown, unregistered, and thought to be unique to Argiano.
This site and grape specificity provided Argiano an opportunity to make a wine of unfettered terroir. This single vineyard Brunello di Montalcino is the top expression of the estate, an ethereal wine of flowers and iron, blessed with depth, freshness and endless length.
GRAPES Sangiovese (100%)
VINEYARDS 4.4ha parcel on the estate; Clay & limestone; 280-310m asl; 55-65 year old vines; Spurred cordon
FERMENTATION Spontaneous in concrete tanks
AGING
30 months in 12-15hl French and Slavonian Oak (Taransaut & Garbelloto); 10 months in bottle
FINISHING Filtered, unfined
PRODUCTION ~5,000 bottles and only in top vintages; six-pack wood case
RECENT VINTAGES:
v21: 98 points, Wine Spectator • 96 points, Wine Advocate • 96 points, Suckling • 95 points, Vinous
v20: 95 points, Wine Spectator • 95 points, Wine Advocate • 95 points, Suckling • 95 points, Vinous
BRANCAIA / CHIANTI CLASSICO
IL BLU
Il Blu was first made in 1988 from Brancaia’s vineyards in Chianti Classico, a blend of Sangiovese and Merlot made in the Super Tuscan style. At the time this was still a novel idea in Chianti; in fact, it was the first such blend in the region to rely on Merlot.
Originally, the wine was Sangiovese-based, but over the years the percentage of Merlot in the blend has increased to as much as 80% as winemaker Barbara Widmer finds increasing depth and elegance in her thirty-plus-year-old vines.
Il Blu is at once modern in its breadth and fine-grained tannins, but it maintains the structural edges and tension of the best classical wines of Chianti.
GRAPES Merlot, Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon
VINEYARDS Radda hillside; Galestro (Radda) & loamy clay (Castellina); 270-450m asl; Spurred cordon
FERMENTATION Spontaneous in stainless steel
AGING
18 months in new & used barriques; 3 months in concrete after assemblage; 12 months in bottle
FINISHING Filtered, unfined
PRODUCTION ~35,000 bottles; six-pack cardboard shipper
RECENT VINTAGES:
v22: 95 points, Wine Advocate • 95 points, Suckling
v21: 97 points, Suckling • 96 points, Vinous • 95 points, Wine Spectator • 95 points, Wine Advocate
GIRLAN / ALTO ADIGE
TRATTMANN PINOT NOIR
Girlan’s top bottling is sourced from Trattmann farm in Mazon and from the Girlan cru in Alto Adige. Trattmann farm is characterized by deep clay and limestone soils, while the Girlan cru is primarily glacial and volcanic.
Since the 1980s, Girlan has distinguished itself with alpine Pinot Noir, increasing plantings over time to 40 hectares, and with a focus on on top crus. Trattman represents the culmination of their work.
‘Trattmann’ Pinot Noir Riserva has achieved Gambero Rosso’s “Tre Bicchieri” status for 11 consecutive years (vintages 2010 to 2020). The Concorso Nazionale del Pinot Noir has also recognized the wine as the “Best Italian Pinot Noir” (vintages 2011, 2012, 2016 and 2020).
VINEYARDS Trattmann Farm (Mazon) and Girlan cru
FERMENTATION Naturally in stainless steel; 10% whole cluster fermentation
AGING
20 months in French and Slavonian oak of varying sizes. Bottle aged for 8 months
FINISHING Filtered, unfined
PRODUCTION ~35,000 bottles; six-pack cardboard shipper
RECENT VINTAGES:
v22: 94 points, Suckling • 93 points, Vinous
v21: 93 points, Suckling
GRAPES Pinot Noir
JERMANN / FRIULI
CAPO MARTINO
Jermann’s top single vineyard bottling is named for the hilltop vineyard that Silvio Jermann purchased in 1991 in the municipality of Dolegna del Collio.
The inaugural 1991 vintage honored the 110th anniversary of founder Anton Jermann’s arrival in Italy from Austria and was called, “Piccolo Sogno verso una terra promessa” (“Small Dream towards a promised land”).
The philosophy and vision that went into that 1991 “Small Dream” continues today with the limited production Capo Martino, a field blend of native varieties with a short maceration on the skin, just Silvio’s father made wine a generation prior.
GRAPES Field blend of local varieties: Friulano, Malvasia, Ribolla Gialla
VINEYARDS Capo Martino, 7.5ha; marl & sandstone; 31+ year old vines; 110-160m asl; Guyot
FERMENTATION
AGING
FINISHING
Spontaneous fermentation in oak
Short maceration on the skins; 10 months in 60-80 hl Slavonian barrels; bottle aged for 2 years prior to release
Filtered, fined (no animal byproducts used)
PRODUCTION Less than 5,000 bottles; six-pack cardboard shipper
RECENT VINTAGES:
v22: 94 points, Suckling • 93 points, Wine Spectator • 93 points, Vinous
RATTI
/ BAROLO
BAROLO ROCCHE DELL’ANNUNZIATA
Rocche dell’Annnunziata is a true ‘grand cru’ of La Morra, first made as a standalone bottling by Renato Ratti in 1971 and included in his initial maps of Barolo as among the “first category,” along with other sites like Cannubi, Monprivato, and Cerequio.
The cru is large - about 30 hectares - but it’s notable that Renato Ratti’s initial maps only included about half of that area; specifically the lower slopes of Rocche dell’Annunziata, which are defined by sandier soils that give the finished wine greater perfume and elegance. Ratti farms just under one hectare of the cru, with his plot between 250 and 300m a.s.l., facing southeast.
On the whole, the wines from Rocche dell’Annunziata are distinguished by their balance of earth, fruit, and floral aromatics. Ratti’s bottling has an elegant body and substantial structure, with tannins that can be austere in their youth, but make for a wine that can age effortlessly for decades.
GRAPES Nebbiolo (100%)
VINEYARDS < 1 hectare, Rocche dell’Annunziata MGA, La Morra Commune; Tortonian blue marl; 250-300m asl; Guyot
FERMENTATION Stainless steel
AGEING 24 months in 25 hectoliter Slavoniak casks; 12 months in bottle
FINISHING Filtered, unfined
PRODUCTION ~5,500 bottles; six-pack wood case
RECENT VINTAGES:
v21: 97 points, Wine Spectator • 96 points, Suckling • 94 points, Vinous
v20: 96 points, Suckling • 95 points, Wine Spectator • 95 points, Wine Advocate
RATTI / BAROLO
BAROLO SERRADENARI
The Serradenari plot sits on the uppermost elevation in the La Morra region—almost 500 meters above sea level. The estate covers an area of almost 4.5 hectares and benefits from south and south-west facing exposure and with vines aged between 20 and 40 years old.
Not only does Serradenari enjoy spectacular views of the Piedmontese Alps, the sun exposure and greater altitude allow for later harvesting—something that has become ever more important in light of climate change.
For Ratti, all these aspects contribute a great “edge” to the Barolo. The wines are more rigid and nervous, with a sharper edge compared to the wine from lower hills of La Morra.
GRAPES
Nebbiolo (100%)
VINEYARDS Serradenari MGA, La Morra Commune; Tortonian blue marl; 480m asl; Guyot; 30 year old vines
FERMENTATION Stainless steel
AGEING 1 year French oak barriques and 1 year Slovenian oak casks; 12 months in bottle
FINISHING Filtered, unfined
PRODUCTION ~6,000 bottles; six-pack wood case
RECENT VINTAGES:
v22: 95 points, Suckling v21: 96 points, Suckling • 95 points, Vinous
TORNATORE / ETNA
PIETRARIZZO BIANCO
The contrada of Pietrarizzo sits between 650 and 700m above sea level and is a reliable source for excellent wines from both red and white grapes which balance fruit, florals and finesse.
Pietrarizzo Bianco is Tornatore’s top bottling of the native grape of Carricante, an ageworthy, mediumweighted, mineral rich wine with pronounced spice and herbal aromas. The wine can be heady and intoxicating in its youth, but take on depth, richness, and rieslinglike notes of petrol as it ages.
RECENT VINTAGES:
v23: 91 points, Suckling
v22: 91 points, Wine Advocate • 91 points, Suckling
GRAPES Carricante, Catarratto
VINEYARDS Contrada Pietrarizzo, Etna DOC; Volcanic soils; 650-700m asl; Counter-espalier
FERMENTATION 50 hectoliter oak casks; No MLF
AGEING 5 months in 50 hectoliter cask
FINISHING Filtered & Fined
PRODUCTION ~19,000 bottles; six-pack cardboard shipper
