2021 Zinfandel Lolita Ranch 750 ml
Appellation
Russian River
Delectable aromas of Black Forest cake, red plum, and sweet barrel spice are found in the nose. A juicy entry with flavors of red currants and rhubarb are found in the mouth. A hint of white peach is found in the long-lasting finish.
Wine Specs
Vintage
2021
Varietal
Zinfandel
Appellation
Russian River
Vineyard Designation
Lolita Ranch
Alcohol %
16.3
Wine Profile
Tasting Notes
Delectable aromas of Black Forest cake, red plum, and sweet barrel spice are found in the nose. A juicy entry with flavors of red currants and rhubarb are found in the mouth. A hint of white peach is found in the long-lasting finish.
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. at that time decided to name the ranch after Lolita. Lee Jr. 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.