2023 Martin Ray Sauvignon Blanc Russian River Valley 750 ml

For lovers of seductive, opulent Sauvignon Blanc, there’s no substitute for the Russian River Valley’s finest.

The area’s cooler climate and famed Goldridge loam soils allow for long hang-times for the aromatic grapes, resulting in bottles that combine ripe orchard fruit with a brilliantly bright edge. The most famous example—Merry Edwards’ cult bottling—takes that dialectic and ramps it up even further by using the rare, exotically aromatic Sauvignon Musqué clone.

Martin Ray’s 2023 Russian River Sauvignon Blanc is all of those things: A single-vineyard wine from the insider-favorite Ricioli Vineyard, made with the Musqué clone—and by a talented winemaking team led by 100-point star Keith Emerison. 

In many ways, this wine is in keeping with the original ethos of Martin Ray. A modern pioneer in producing some of the best Napa Cabs—and making them available at value prices rarely matched by his Valley brethren—Martin Ray was one of the original legends of California viticulture, alongside Donn Chappellet and Robert Mondavi. He was motivated to craft wines that would rival Europe’s elites at a time when most would have found that notion laughable. He got the last laugh when his bottles ended up in the White House under multiple administrations.

Today, owner Courtney Benham has picked up the torch where Martin Ray left off. Connections and long-term contracts are the fruit of Benham’s long career producing top-rated bottles. Raised on a family farm in Bakersfield, he learned the wine business from his father. Since the 1980s, he’s been one of California’s savviest operators, racking up countless scores of 90+ points across multiple estates.