Martinelli
A Russian River Valley institution built on old-vine Zinfandel and single-vineyard Pinot Noir. The Martinelli family has farmed the same rugged Sonoma hillsides for generations, producing wines that are dense, site-specific, and unambiguous.
History
The Martinelli family has been farming in the Russian River Valley and the hills above Windsor since the late nineteenth century, when Italian immigrants settled in Sonoma County and planted the steep, rocky slopes that would eventually define the family's reputation. The vineyard now known as Jackass Hill, named for the stubbornness required of any mule (or farmer) willing to work its near-vertical grades, was among the earliest plantings and remains one of the most distinctive old-vine Zinfandel sites in California. For much of the twentieth century, the family sold fruit rather than producing finished wine under their own label. The shift to estate bottling came later, and the Martinelli label as it exists today, focused on single-vineyard releases and small lots, reflects a deliberate move toward expressing individual sites rather than blending them into a house style. The family remains closely involved in both farming and production decisions.
Vineyards
The Martinelli holdings span several distinct sites across the Russian River Valley appellation and its surrounding elevations. Jackass Hill and Jackass Vineyard, the two Zinfandel anchors, sit on steep hillside terrain above the valley floor, with thin, well-drained soils that stress the vines and concentrate fruit. Some of the Zinfandel blocks contain head-trained, own-rooted vines of considerable age, which contributes to the wines' depth and structural intensity. The Pinot Noir vineyards, including Moonshine Ranch, Zio Tony, Lolita Ranch, Bondi Home Ranch, and Wild Thyme, are more varied in aspect and elevation, with the valley floor sites benefiting from the cold marine air that funnels in from the Pacific through the Petaluma Gap. Soils across the estate range from the Goldridge sandy loams typical of the appellation to heavier, clay-influenced ground on some blocks. Specific farming certifications are not widely documented, though the family's long tenure on the same land suggests conservative, continuity-focused viticulture.
Winemaking
Martinelli's winemaking leans toward richness and concentration rather than restraint, which suits both the old-vine Zinfandel and the ripeness levels typical of their Pinot Noir sites. The Zinfandels, particularly those from Jackass Hill and Jackass Vineyard, are full-bodied, densely fruited wines that carry significant alcohol without tipping into obvious heat, a balance that depends heavily on the age and structure of the vines themselves. The Pinot Noirs are made in a style that prioritizes fruit depth and texture over austerity; they are not lean or Burgundian in character, but they carry genuine site differentiation across the single-vineyard lineup. Oak is present but not the primary driver. Winemaking specifics, including fermentation vessel choices, yeast protocols, and exact aging regimes, are not extensively published, though the wines consistently reflect a cellar approach that favors fullness and polish over raw structure.
Wines
2022 Zinfandel Lolita Ranch
2022 Zinfandel Vellutini Ranch
2022 Zinfandel Giuseppe & Luisa
2022 Pinot Noir Wild Thyme Vineyard
2022 Pinot Noir Three Sisters Vineyard
2022 Pinot Noir Bondi Home Ranch Vineyard
2022 Pinot Noir Lolita Ranch Vineyard
2022 Pinot Noir Blue Slide Ridge Vineyard
2022 Pinot Noir Zio Tony Vineyard
2022 Pinot Noir Moonshine Ranch Vineyard
2022 Zinfandel Jackass Hill
2022 Zinfandel Jackass Vineyard
2021 Pinot Noir Wild Thyme Vineyard
2021 Pinot Noir Sky Ridge
2021 Pinot Noir Moonshine Ranch Vineyard
2021 Pinot Noir Three Sisters Vineyard
2021 Zinfandel Lolita Ranch
2021 Pinot Noir Blue Slide Ridge Vineyard
2021 Pinot Noir Zio Tony Vineyard
2021 Zinfandel Giuseppe & Luisa
2021 Zinfandel Vellutini Ranch
2021 Syrah Lolita Ranch
2021 Pinot Noir Bondi Home Ranch Vineyard
2021 Pinot Noir Lolita Ranch Vineyard
2021 Zinfandel Jackass Hill
2021 Zinfandel Jackass Vineyard
2021 Syrah Vellutini Ranch
2021 Chardonnay Zio Tony Ranch
2021 Chardonnay Three Sisters Vineyard
2021 Chardonnay Lolita Ranch
2021 Chardonnay Charles Ranch
2021 Chardonnay Martinelli Road
2020 Chardonnay Lolita Ranch
2020 Chardonnay Charles Ranch
2020 Syrah Hop Barn Hill
2020 Chardonnay Three Sisters Vineyard
2020 Zinfandel Giuseppe & Luisa
2020 Zinfandel Jackass Vineyard
2020 Chardonnay Zio Tony Ranch
2020 Chardonnay Martinelli Road
2020 Syrah Chico's Hill
2020 Syrah Lolita Ranch
2020 Zinfandel Vellutini Ranch
2020 Zinfandel Lolita Ranch
2020 Syrah Vellutini Ranch
2020 Zinfandel Jackass Hill
2019 Chardonnay Lolita Ranch
2019 Chardonnay Three Sisters Vineyard
2019 Zinfandel Vellutini Ranch
2019 Chardonnay Martinelli Road
2019 Syrah Hop Barn Hill
2019 Zinfandel Jackass Vineyard
2019 Pinot Noir Moonshine Ranch
2019 Pinot Noir Three Sisters Vineyard
2019 Chardonnay Charles Ranch
2019 Zinfandel Lolita Ranch
2019 Pinot Noir Bondi Home Ranch
2019 Pinot Noir Lolita Ranch
2019 Pinot Noir Wild Thyme Vineyard
2019 Chardonnay Zio Tony Ranch
2019 Syrah Vellutini Ranch
2019 Zinfandel Jackass Hill
2019 Zinfandel Giuseppe & Luisa
2019 Pinot Noir Zio Tony Ranch
2019 Syrah Chico's Hill
2019 Syrah Lolita Ranch
2019 Pinot Noir Blue Slide Ridge
2018 Zinfandel Vellutini Ranch
2018 Zinfandel Jackass Vineyard
2018 Chardonnay Lolita Ranch
2018 Chardonnay Three Sisters Vineyard
2018 Zinfandel Jackass Hill
2018 Pinot Noir Three Sisters Vineyard
2018 Syrah Hop Barn Hill
2018 Syrah Vellutini Ranch
2018 Chardonnay Martinelli Road
2018 Pinot Noir Lolita Ranch
2018 Zinfandel Giuseppe & Luisa
2018 Zinfandel Lolita Ranch
2018 Pinot Noir Moonshine Ranch
2018 Syrah Lolita Ranch
2018 Chardonnay Zio Tony Ranch
2018 Chardonnay Charles Ranch
2018 Pinot Noir Bondi Home Ranch
2018 Pinot Noir Blue Slide Ridge
2018 Syrah Chico's Hill
2018 Pinot Noir Zio Tony Ranch
2017 Syrah Vellutini Ranch
2017 Chardonnay Lolita Ranch
2017 Chardonnay Three Sisters Vineyard
2017 Zinfandel Jackass Hill
2017 Zinfandel Giuseppe & Luisa
2017 Pinot Noir Zio Tony Ranch
2017 Pinot Noir Blue Slide Ridge
2017 Pinot Noir Moonshine Ranch
2017 Syrah Chico's Hill
2017 Chardonnay Zio Tony Ranch
2017 Syrah Lolita Ranch
2017 Chardonnay Charles Ranch
2017 Chardonnay Martinelli Road