A Designer’s Journey From Luxury Brand to Terroir-Driven Wine
Author:Annette HanamiFor Tim Martin, a brand designer, building Tusk into a cult Cabernet was a matter of marketing aspiration in a bottle, from branding, labeling, packaging, to the luxurious quality of winemaker Philippe Melka’s wine. It’s in the moment.
Immortal Estate Owner Tim Martin
But one night while dining at Torc in Downtown Napa, he was served a rare 1905 Sherry that sparked a revelation. While the Sherry winemakers have passed on, their spirit lives on through the wine. It was about that time that he had the opportunity to acquire a unique vineyard on the Mayacamas range, Hidden Ridge, whose ageworthy 2013 Cabernet wines Robert Parker rated a perfect 100 points, calling it “nearly immortal”. And so Immortal Estate was born.
The spectacular vineyard’s steep slopes and high elevation site produces deep, rich and concentrated fruit, while the 1,000 foot vertical span adds complexity. The Impassable Mountain Reserve (400 cases) is their small production, icon wine but given the large 50-acre vineyard, Immortal Estate will also produce a second wine called “Slope” to enable a shared journey with their customers. The longevity of the wine inspired Martin to select for its logo the elusive and immortal Turritopsis Dorhnii jellyfish. For more information, check the website.
