Markham Vineyards' inaugural 2006 vintage of two single-vineyard, limited production Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon wines, appropriately named The Philanthropist and The Altruist, have received rave reviews from Wine Enthusiast Magazine:

2006 The Altruist, 93 points
Calistoga Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
"Has all the hallmarks of a young, ageable Cabernet, and should develop well due to the inherent balance and class. Right now, oak sticks out. But underneath are ripe blackberry currant flavors and chocolate flavors, wrapped into a very fine, classic structure. Better after 2012."

2006 The Philanthropist, 93 points
Yountville Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
"Tastes and feels like all the parts are very good. The tannins are polished, the fruit is ripe and complex, the oak is elaborate, and there's a nice bite of acidity in the background. The blackberry, black currant, carob, and cedar flavors are enticing and dry. But this wine is too young. It has a youthful rudeness that demands 5-7 years in the cellar. The score reflects potential."

Each year, Markham Vineyards awards two $25,000 grants to individuals or groups across America committed to making a “Mark of Distinction” in their neighborhood, town or city.

The 2006 vintage of The Philanthropist and The Altruist are dedicated to the 2008 Mark of Distinction winners, Table to Table in Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ and to the Bartlett Arboretum in Bell Plaine, KS. Both organizations received $25,000 grants as part of their Markham Mark of Distinction philanthropic efforts in 2008.

Table to Table delivers perishable foods left over at grocery stores and retailers to the hungry for immediate consumption. Chuck Russo, dedicated Board member, used the funding to fuel the refrigerated trucks that distribute food that would otherwise be wasted. Markham Mark of Distinction helped the organization reach its goal of delivering over six million meals at less than eight cents each.

The Bartlett Arboretum, a 15-acre habitat for trees, was in need of revitalization due to flood damage. The grant empowered steward, Robin Macy, to develop a detailed flood alleviation plan for the Euphrates Creek, with hopes of lessening flood damage for local homeowners and fortifying the near century-old Bartlett Arboretum for the future.

In the fall of 2010, Markham will release the 2007 vintage of The Philanthropist and The Altruist dedicated to the 2009 Mark of Distinction winners, Island Sled Hockey, of Lynbrook, NY, and the Paul Ruby Foundation of Geneva, IL.

The Long Island Sled Hockey program for both physically and mentally handicapped athletes in Lynbrook, NY, is the nation’s largest and most inclusive sled hockey program in the country. The Paul Ruby Foundation for Parkinson’s Research in Geneva, IL, is committed to funding clinical research to extend the knowledge, treatment and awareness of Parkinson’s disease.

Of the wines, which are 100% Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon, Kimberlee Nicholls, Winemaker at Markham Vineyards says, “Both wines were made in very similar ways, but each are indicative of the terroir that they represent.”

The Philanthropist is sourced from their Yountville estate, a property which has been vineyard land for over 140 years. The vineyards, located on a hillside benchland on a Southwestern facing alluvial fan of the Mayacamas range, is renown for producing exceptional Bordeaux varietals.

Ms. Nicholls adds, “The Yountville soils on our estate are thin and more ash-like over well-drained alluvial fans. The wine is very big and textural, extracted but still lots of jammy fruit.”

The Altruist, on the other hand, is sourced further north from their Calistoga ranch, positioned at the base of Mt. St. Helena. Located in a canyon and surrounded by wild Bay Laurel trees, this site was difficult to plant due to rocky soils and lack of a consistent water source.

On The Altruist, Ms. Nicholls says, “the more wilderness terroir of the Calistoga estate would lead one to believe that it would be the monster of the two, but it is quite the opposite. The gravely soils actually accentuate the bay and anise flora and are reflective in the wine showing more floral, so while not delicate, The Altruist is probably the more feminine of the two bottlings.”