Jackass Hill Zinfandel 2020

This rugged vineyard is referred to by the Martinelli family as “Jackass Hill”, because only a jackass would farm a hill that steep. Jackass Hill is the steepest non-terraced hillside vineyard in Sonoma County, boasting slopes of 65 degrees. Lee Sr. is the third generation Martinelli farmer to care-take the original family homestead land; farming the ancient vineyard much as his grandfather Giuseppe had in the 1880s, without irrigation, pesticides or trellising.

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 time in the berries’ growth cycle, the skins are softening and developing flavors. 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 varietals 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 the 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 only processed 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.

APPELLATION

Russian River Valley

VARIETALS PLANTED

Zinfandel, Muscat

SOIL INFORMATION

Franciscan, Goldridge

SOIL CHARACTERISTICS

Fractured bed-rock, Clay Loam

ROOTSTOCK

St. George

YEAR ACQUIRED

1880

YEAR PLANTED

1890

Concentrated and rich aromas of sun kissed blackberries, Santa Rosa plum, and vanilla are found in the nose. A seamless ride from entry to finish with flavors of boysenberries, fresh strawberries, and nectarines. A touch of cinnamon is present in the lingering finish.