2021 Pinot Noir Zio Tony Ranch
Appellation
Russian River
The Zio Tony Ranch is named after Lee Sr.’s uncle Tony who was the first in the Bondi family to be born on American soil. Zio Tony, Zio meaning 'uncle' in Italian and pronounced 'tseo', was a very charismatic man with a big booming voice who loved a good time. When Zio Tony passed away in 1971 his nephew, Lee Martinelli, Sr., took over management of the estate. The love of his family's heritage land was too great for Lee to sell the property and in one short season he went from High School teacher to Apple Farmer. Eventually this apple orchard was converted to vineyards, as the market for apples grew unbearably soft. The vines are planted on rolling hills made up of Gold Ridge soil.
Wine Specs
Vintage
2021
Varietal
Pinot Noir
Appellation
Russian River
Vineyard Designation
Zio Tony Ranch
Alcohol %
15.3
Wine Profile
Tasting Notes
Aromas of Blood Orange peel, wet earth, and blackberry preserves fill your nose. Balanced acidity upon the entry and the palate is enhanced with flavors of black cherry, hibiscus, and raspberry tea. The finish is weighty and long and accompanied by flavors of orange peel.
Vineyard Notes
The Zio Tony Ranch is named after Lee Sr.’s uncle Tony who was the first in the
Bondi family to be born on American soil. Zio Tony, Zio meaning 'uncle' in Italian
and pronounced 'tseo', was a very charismatic man with a big booming voice
whom loved a good time. When Zio Tony passed away in 1971 his nephew, Lee
Martinelli, Sr., took over management of the estate. The love of his family's
heritage land was too great for Lee to sell the property and in one short season he
went from High School teacher to Apple Farmer. Eventually this apple orchard
was converted to vineyards, as the market for apples grew unbearably soft. The
vines are planted on rolling hills made up of Gold Ridge soil, with Clones consisting
of 95, 76, and 548.
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.
