2023 Martellotto 'Kind of Noir' Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 12x750ml

About the Wine

Napa prices are climbing—$150, $200, sometimes even more—for a bottle of the good stuff. But here’s where things get exciting: Kind of Noir gives you all the power, all the depth, and all the Napa magic you expect, without the sky-high price tag.

Friends, this is our #1 quality price ratio (QPR) wine from the highly esteemed 2023 vintage in Napa Valley. We tasted hundreds of wines and this one blows out of the water the competition. Our team preferred this wine over many wines that over $100 per bottle!

Sourced from some of the finest vineyards in Napa, this is a Napa Cabernet made for wine lovers who don’t want to break the bank but refuse to settle for less. It’s dark, bold, and structured—packed with ripe black fruit, that signature Napa richness, and just the right amount of oak. It’s a wine that holds its own among the valley’s elite but doesn’t carry their elite prices.

If you’ve been watching Napa’s prices climb and quality sometimes slip, Kind of Noir is the smart choice.

The Napa Cabernet you need, at the price you’ll want.

In the rolling hills of California Wine Country, there's a story that wine critics whisper about in hushed, reverent tones. It's the story of Greg Martellotto, a man whose Italian bloodline carries centuries of winemaking wisdom, and whose obsessive pursuit of perfection has created something extraordinary.

Since 2005, Greg has been crafting wines in his family's tradition, using techniques passed down through generations of Italian vintners. But this isn't your typical family story. Greg took those ancestral secrets and spent decades refining them, perfecting them, pushing them beyond what even his forefathers imagined possible. His mastery recently earned him recognition as a certified Italian Wine Ambassador—one of only 450 people worldwide to receive this prestigious honor.

The result? Wines so exceptional that they've been flying completely under the radar, known only to a select few who stumble upon Martellotto's tiny production runs of fewer than 8,000 cases per year. For years, Greg's wines quietly earned 90+ ratings and collected double gold medals in blind competitions.

Tasting Notes

Appearance
Dark, enigmatic garnet with a mirror-bright core—like silk shadows under club lights.

Aroma (Nose)
It rolls in with crushed blackcurrant jam and ripe Morello cherry, softened by a swirl of baking spice—think star anise and cinnamon tap-dancing with soft cedar. A faint suggestion of graphite and forest floor adds subtle gravitas.

Palate
Picture the finest velvet: the black fruit floods in—blackberry and dark plum—before velvet rope tannins elegantly usher in spice-laced liquorice and a whisper of dried herbs. The mid-palate opens up, revealing earthy undertones of graphite, a wisp of toasty oak, and shadow of dark cocoa.

Tannins & Acidity
Acid is graceful, keeping the fruit alive without screaming. Tannins are firm but silken, sculpting everything into a cohesive, sleek form.

Finish
Long, resonant, and smooth—like the echo after a brilliant punchline. WOW! The mouthfeel and vanilla go on for more than a minute. It fades in layers: dark fruit temperament, fading lightly into a smoky oak and black pepper finale, polished and poised.

Reviews

From Greg Martellotto comes this utterly seductive, lavishly layered Cabernet, opulently scented and framed by smoky, toasty French oak nuances that highlight rich, velvety blueberry fruit. Full-bodied, the tannins soar across the palate, dipped in chocolaty decadence, while crushed espresso beans fuel the lavish finish. A potpourri of violets and blue floral notes adds intrigue. This is a hedonistic wine best enjoyed now and over the next five to seven years. ~95 Decanter Magazine