2021 Pinot Noir Lolita Ranch 750ml
Appellation
Russian River
Lively flavors of strawberry compote, dried cherries, and clove are found in the glass. Leading with a bright entry, you will find flavors in the mouth of red berries, pomegranate, and ripe cherry. The clean, long finish is complemented by balanced acidity.
Wine Specs
Vintage
2021
Varietal
Pinot Noir
Appellation
Russian River
Vineyard Designation
Lolita Ranch
Alcohol %
15.2
Wine Profile
Tasting Notes
Lively flavors of strawberry compote, dried cherries, and clove are found in the glass. Leading with a bright entry, you will find flavors in the mouth of red berries, pomegranate, and ripe cherry. The clean, long finish is complemented by balanced acidity.
Vineyard Notes
The Lolita Ranch is located on Martinelli Road in Forestville. The property was part of the original Martinelli Homestead Ranch, belonging to Giuseppe and Luisa Martinelli who purchased the steep, forested land in the late 1800’s. Later, their eldest son Fred sold the parcel to his neighbor, Lolita Young’s mother. Eventually Bob and Lolita Young inherited it, and ran a herd of cattle on the land for many years. Lee Martinelli Jr. and his wife Pamela acquired the property in 1999 from Bob Young after Lolita’s passing, returning it back to the Martinelli estate and to the family’s continuing century-long legacy of viticulture. Lee Jr. decided to name the ranch after Lolita, and planted the steep hillside in 2001 with four different grape varietals: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Zinfandel.
Production Notes
2021 was the driest year on record since they started keeping records 127 years ago. It was also the third year of drought conditions for Sonoma County. Contrary to these conditions, the summer was relatively cool and started two weeks later than the previous year. The drought conditions did bring ripeness to each of our varieties at just about the same time. By the end of the first week, we had 40% of the total tonnage in the winery. This included Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Zinfandel from both Fort Ross-Seaview and Russian River Valley. Despite being a very compact harvest, small clusters and berry size have yielded exceptional quality which makes 2021 a standout vintage.