United States · California

Martinelli

Martinelli Winery in the Russian River Valley, operated by the Martinelli family since the 1980s, is one of Sonoma's most distinctive small producers, farming some of the most extremely steep vineyard terrain in California. The Jackass Vineyard—a pre-Prohibition Zinfandel planting on a slope so steep it originally required mules for farming—is the estate's most famous site, producing Zinfandel of extraordinary concentration. The estate also farms old-vine Zinfandel in the Giuseppe & Luisa block and Bondi Home Ranch for Pinot Noir. Water Trough Pinot Noir from Bondi Home Ranch and Lolita Ranch Pinot Noir are the estate's leading Pinot bottlings. At auction, 798 lots average $56 per bottle with a ceiling of $923—modest pricing reflecting the estate's niche following among Zinfandel and old-vine enthusiasts rather than the broader collector market. The 2003 vintage tops the auction database. Winemaker Helen Turley worked with Martinelli in the 1990s and early 2000s, driving significant critical attention before departing. The Bella Chardonnay and Martinelli Road Chardonnay represent the estate's white wine program.