• Certified Sustainable
• 100% Zinfandel
• Giuseppe & Luisa Vineyard (Russian River Valley AVA)
• Planted in the 1880s using cuttings from Jackass Hill and Jackass Vineyard (pictured above)
• Huichica clay, hard-pan soils
• Fermented in 100% neutral French oak
• Full malolactic fermentation
• On the lees with daily battonage
• Aged 11 months in French oak (40% new)
• 1,500 cases produced
• 16% abv
• Winemakers: Courtney Wagoner & Erin Green

"The wine opens with inviting aromas of ripe black cherry and Santa Rosa plum, intertwined with subtle, warming spices that evoke a sense of comfort. A lively, bright entry flows seamlessly into a well balanced midpalate, where vibrant cherry tart and succulent plum notes take center stage. The wine's harmonious structure persists across the entire palate, culminating in a mouthwatering finish accented by delicate hints of lingering milk chocolate shavings." -Winemaker Notes

The Martinelli family has been growing grapes in the Russian River Valley since the 1880s. At the ages of 19 and 16, Giuseppe Martinelli and Luisa Vellutini eloped from their small village in the Tuscany region of Italy, making their way to California looking for land to farm and start a winery. Giuseppe had been a winemaker in Italy and with his viticulture knowledge he was hired to plant a vineyard for a farmer in Forestville. Within two years he earned enough money, and borrowed some from a local wood cutter, to purchase land of his own. Working side by side on a 60 degree slope, Giuseppe and Luisa planted a small area of Zinfandel and Muscat Alexandria vines, which later became known as the Jackass Hill vineyard. Over 135 years later, this south easterly exposure remains the steepest non-terraced vineyard in Sonoma County.