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The April 2022 Auction: Part 4
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1 / 2Lot 543
Estimate: $100
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Collection name
Reviews
96+RP
"The rare 2014 Zinfandel Jackass Hill Vineyard (63 cases) is, I believe, Californiaās most expensive Zinfandel, first produced in 1993. The vines are head-pruned and the slopes stupidly steep (hence the name Jackass, attributed to one of the older Martinellis who planted this vineyard over 100 years ago). The wine is firmer, has more tannin, and displays notes of forest floor, underbrush, blackberry, black raspberry and a touch of barbecued meats in a deep, full-throttle, balls-to-the-walls style. Drink it over the next 20 years. One of the great families of Northern California, and of course, one of the highest quality producers, the Martinellis ā and rather remarkably so ā only estate-bottle 15% of their production from over 300 acres of beautifully situated vineyards in the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast. No doubt Helen Turley, who worked at Martinelli and mentored its winemaking team, left a profound influence on the quality of the Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, Syrahs and Zinfandels, a fact that canāt be overstated. The Chardonnays all go through full malolactic fermentation and tend to see about 50% new oak. The Pinot Noirs are always 100% destemmed and largely spend no longer than ten months in about 60% new French oak. More specifics are included with the following tasting notes. As good as 2013 is for Pinot Noir in Sonoma, 2014 actually eclipses it. This isnāt the case with Bordeaux varietals, but certainly with Pinot Noir, and at times, Chardonnay as well. The 2014s show more varietal character and greater intensity, and the wines are just richer and deeper, although this is by no means disparaging the super-high quality of the 2013s. Across the board, with this half-dozen 2014 Pinot Noirs from Martinelli, this is probably the strongest vintage I have seen from them in many a year. By the way, the three largest cuvĆ©es of these fabulous 2014 Pinot Noirs from Martinelli are the Bondi Home (845 cases), Zio Tony (709 cases) and the Moonshine Ranch (783 cases). I tasted four Syrahs from 2012, which of course is a rather dramatic vintage, producing very exuberant and opulent wines. There are some great old-vine Zinfandel vineyards in Sonoma, and of course, some fabulous producers that can rival the greatness in potential of the five separate Zinfandels made by the Martinelli family. Producers such as Carlisle, Bedrock, Harford Court and a handful of others always seem to hit the high points when it comes to Zinfandel, as do the Martinellis. I tasted two vintages of Zinfandel, and as good as 2013 is, 2014 again (much like Pinot Noir) seems to have an extra gear to it. All of these wines are 100% destemmed, and the aging process is usually up to a year in about one-third new French oak . . . . The 2014 Zinfandels are richer and fuller."
Region
Red
Country
Score
"The rare 2014 Zinfandel Jackass Hill Vineyard (63 cases) is, I believe, Californiaās most expensive Zinfandel, first produced in 1993. The vines are head-pruned and the slopes stupidly steep (hence the name Jackass, attributed to one of the older Martinellis who planted this vineyard over 100 years ago). The wine is firmer, has more tannin, and displays notes of forest floor, underbrush, blackberry, black raspberry and a touch of barbecued meats in a deep, full-throttle, balls-to-the-walls style. Drink it over the next 20 years. One of the great families of Northern California, and of course, one of the highest quality producers, the Martinellis ā and rather remarkably so ā only estate-bottle 15% of their production from over 300 acres of beautifully situated vineyards in the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast. No doubt Helen Turley, who worked at Martinelli and mentored its winemaking team, left a profound influence on the quality of the Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, Syrahs and Zinfandels, a fact that canāt be overstated. The Chardonnays all go through full malolactic fermentation and tend to see about 50% new oak. The Pinot Noirs are always 100% destemmed and largely spend no longer than ten months in about 60% new French oak. More specifics are included with the following tasting notes. As good as 2013 is for Pinot Noir in Sonoma, 2014 actually eclipses it. This isnāt the case with Bordeaux varietals, but certainly with Pinot Noir, and at times, Chardonnay as well. The 2014s show more varietal character and greater intensity, and the wines are just richer and deeper, although this is by no means disparaging the super-high quality of the 2013s. Across the board, with this half-dozen 2014 Pinot Noirs from Martinelli, this is probably the strongest vintage I have seen from them in many a year. By the way, the three largest cuvĆ©es of these fabulous 2014 Pinot Noirs from Martinelli are the Bondi Home (845 cases), Zio Tony (709 cases) and the Moonshine Ranch (783 cases). I tasted four Syrahs from 2012, which of course is a rather dramatic vintage, producing very exuberant and opulent wines. There are some great old-vine Zinfandel vineyards in Sonoma, and of course, some fabulous producers that can rival the greatness in potential of the five separate Zinfandels made by the Martinelli family. Producers such as Carlisle, Bedrock, Harford Court and a handful of others always seem to hit the high points when it comes to Zinfandel, as do the Martinellis. I tasted two vintages of Zinfandel, and as good as 2013 is, 2014 again (much like Pinot Noir) seems to have an extra gear to it. All of these wines are 100% destemmed, and the aging process is usually up to a year in about one-third new French oak . . . . The 2014 Zinfandels are richer and fuller."
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The fourth-largest wine producer in the world, led by California. American fine wine is defined by ripe, expressive fruit and a spirit of innovation, with Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon among the most sought-after wines globally.
A large, geographically varied California region producing cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay near the coast and richer Zinfandel and Cabernet inland. Its wines range from elegant to bold.
A cool, fog-influenced Sonoma AVA renowned for elegant, complex Pinot Noir and rich, balanced Chardonnay.