2021 Zinfandel Giuseppe & Luisa 1.5L
Appellation
Russian River
Immediately upon pouring your nose is engulfed with aromas of dried cherries, stone fruit, black tea, and fresh picked raspberries. The palate is mouthcoating in an intriguing way from the layers of tannins. Flavors of ripe apricot, black cherry, and sweet cream are found on the palate. A hint of white pepper is present along with white peach in the lingering finish.
Wine Specs
Vintage
2021
Varietal
Zinfandel
Appellation
Russian River
Vineyard Designation
Giuseppe & Luisa
Alcohol %
16.3
Wine Profile
Vineyard Notes
Giuseppe and Luisa Martinelli planted three acres of Zinfandel in the Russian River Valley in the
1880s.The old vineyard is now known as Jackass Hill and remains the steepest non-terraced
hillside vineyard in Sonoma County. Nearly one century later Giuseppe and Luisa’s grandson,
Lee Martinelli Sr., followed in their footsteps by planting a Zinfandel vineyard. He grafted bud
wood from the centurion vines onto low-vigor rootstocks and planted them one meter by two
meters apart, equating to about 2,000 vines per acre, on a rocky knoll above the Martinelli
Winery Tasting Room in Russian River Valley
Winemaker Notes
2020 will likely go down as one of the most memorable harvests in Martinelli history. The
growing season was nearly perfect until mid-August when two nearby wildfires were ignited by a
dry lightning storm. At this point in the berries’ growth cycle, the skins are softening and
developing favors. Because we religiously prioritize the quality of our wines and the integrity of
our brand, we made the hard but crucial decision to not make any Pinot Noir from the 2020
vintage. Unlike the other varieties that we grow, Pinot Noir is susceptible to absorbing flavors
from its surroundings because it is exceptionally thin skinned. This is why we are able to pick up
terroir flavor nuances even within the same AVA in this grape. Luckily, we have Chardonnay,
Zinfandel and Syrah from the 2020 vintage. Chardonnay is removed from its skins as soon as it
enters the winery, so contact with any smoke flavors is extremely minimal. Zinfandel and Syrah
both have very tough skins and did not absorb the smoke flavors we tasted in the Pinots.
Though we were only able to process half the amount of fruit we do in a normal year, we are
grateful for the outstanding wines we were able to make from the 2020 harvest
