Family were visiting tonight who had visited Martini winery in 1976, so dug deep in the cellar and pulled a 1976 Martini Private Reserve Merlot. A few things stood out: (1) it had a foil capsule instead of the white plastic standard of the era (2) it had a synthetic cork (3) the cork has the Martini Winery address on it…
I can’t imagine anyone would counterfeit a 1976 Louis Martini Merlot…
Does anyone know of the “private reserve” bottles were reconditioned and recorked?
The wine showed notes of its age, tasted appropriate to a mid-70’s martini wine (showed great), but was overall in amazing shape…
1976 Louis M. Martini Merlot Private Reserve - USA, California, North Coast (11/23/2025)
A bit of confusion as the cork pulled was synthetic and stamped with the Martini website. Appears to have maybe been recorked?
The color on the wine is spectacular, nose is full of tobacco, after 30 minutes of air, the red fruit is sweet and vibrant, with a core of acid on their-tongue. The finish is all tertiary with more tobacco and leather.
This is a conundrum, based on the corks, but the wine is beyond sound and right to the age. Really fun.
This is the only thing that makes sense. Martini had stash of old wines and decided to sell them in the Tasting room. This would explain the website and 800 number. Not a wine to be counterfitted so it would make sense this was done when these artificial corks had their day. Early 2000’s?
The bigger trigger for my on the cork was the printing of the website, which seemed to be the best method of dating it well beyond the original bottling of the wine.
Was talking to my dad about a trip he took to wine country back in 1961 with his brother, and he distinctly remembered Louis Martini. Beringer and Krug as well. Very cool that you shared that wine and that memory with your family. I’m doing likewise with my father on Wednesday with an old bottle of Krug Cab. We’ve been emailing about it for a couple of days, and I’ve been teasing out of him some of the details of his trip, looking forward to having the robust conversation on Wednesday with him and my son. That is exactly what wine appreciation is all about, it brings family and good people together. Good on you my friend!
Jonathan says that Louis Martini did a big library sale at auction around maybe 09/10 and it’s possible they might have recorked and reconditioned for that sale. That could explain the cork and the Private Reserve - not a normal release but deemed a private reserve after the fact for this sale.
He’s just recalling, not looking things up, but might be helpful.
I recently bought a 1975 Louis Martini Barbera and a 1976 Louis Martini Cabernet Sauvignon. Both had the familiar plastic capsule and the Cabernet had a standard cork (it had held up very well, btw).
Private Reserve was an occasional designation at Martini in the late 1960s and 1970s. It meant - as far as I know - wine with extra age in the bottle. Special Selection, on the other hand, were lots selected because they stood out from the rest of the lots from that vintage.
