Martha McClellan

At a Glance - Current role: Winemaker, Vineyard 7 & 8, St. Helena. - Year in role: 2014. - Training: Degree in Oenology and Viticulture, University of Geisenheim, Germany. - Craft focus: Cabernet Sauvignon. - On the 2020 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, she said, "This 2020 Vineyard 7 & 8 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is truly exceptional, showcasing the resilient spirit and craftsmanship of our team."

Signature

Cabernet Sauvignon is the center of Martha McClellan’s work at Vineyard 7 & 8, where the requirements are familiar to any cellar that aims for structure: patience, precision, and a palate that can track detail through repetition. A degree in Oenology and Viticulture from the University of Geisenheim in Germany gave that work an academic base, and 10 years spent refining her winemaking skills added the kind of judgment that only comes from doing the same hard tasks long enough to hear where a wine is leaning. Since 2013 with a style that reads as controlled and expressive in equal measure. Martha McClellan's signature wines include Block Six, 2017 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, 2020 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, 2016 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2015 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. At Vineyard 7 & 8, those bottlings map a body of work built around structure and depth. Block Six sits with the Estate Cabernet Sauvignons as part of the same cellar vocabulary, each wine asking for close attention rather than quick reading. The 2017 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2020 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon show different points along that line, while the 2016 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2015 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon extend the sequence. Taken together, they describe the consistency of a winemaker working in repetition, adjustment, and balance.

In Their Words “The 2016 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon marks my third vintage in this portfolio of beautiful wines, and likely one of our proudest efforts to date.” “This wine shows a more savory focus, with notes of Chinese five spice, bittersweet chocolate ganache, white pepper and candied currants.” The phrasing is direct, and that matters. In Martha McClellan’s account, the 2016 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is measured as part of a sequence: a third vintage in the portfolio, and a point where the work already carried enough continuity to be judged against earlier years. The sensory notes she names are equally specific—Chinese five spice, bittersweet chocolate ganache, white pepper, candied currants—which places the emphasis on reading the wine closely and describing it without excess. It is a practical palate, built on attention to detail and the discipline to name what is actually in the glass.