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Martinelli Vineyard
Tasting Notes
This bright and refreshing Chardonnay opens with aromas of lemon, white peach, and pineapple. The palate shows pleasant texture with flavors of pear, kiwi, and stone fruit, plus a touch of coconut. Crisp acidity and delicate balance make it an ideal companion for a warm spring day.
Vintage Notes
The 2024 growing season started off quite wet and cold, giving the vines an extended dormant period. Bud break occurred as spring began, followed closely by a brief bloom period. Early summer brought a mix of warm and hot days, but nights remained cool, allowing the vines time to recoup. Vintage 2024 was a tale of two harvests: our Sauvignon Blanc was harvested on August 31st—two and a half weeks earlier than in 2023—marking the start of an early pick season that also included Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Zinfandel through early September. The Bordeaux varieties followed, mostly harvested in mid-September, with our final truck of Cabernet Sauvignon arriving on October 11th.
Vineyard Notes
The cool, foggy climate of the beautiful Russian River Valley is ideal for Chardonnay grapes. Located in the heart of this famed, grape-growing region is the Martinelli Vineyard. The Martinelli family has grown grapes here since the 1880s and their fruit is recognized for its high quality and rich, expressive flavors.
Winemaker Notes
Picked at dawn, these grapes arrived at the winery while still cold and were carefully placed directly into our small bladder press. Free-run juice was collected, with partial gallons being racked to a stainless steel rotary tank for a slow, cool fermentation, while the remainder was barrel-fermented to create a creamy mouthfeel. To complement the wine’s clean, crisp texture and bright aromatics, both lots completed 85% of their malolactic fermentation and aged the wine for 11 months before bottling to create this supple wine.
