Lolita Ranch Zinfandel 2020
Not yet reviewed
- VINEYARD
- Lolita Ranch
- VINTAGE
- 2020
- ABOUT THIS WINE
The Lolita Ranch is located on Martinelli Road in Forestville. The property was part of the original Martinelli Homestead Ranch, Lolita Ranch Zinfandel 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. decided to name the ranch after Lolita and he then planted the steep hillside in 2001 with four different grape varietals: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Zinfandel.
- Growing Year Info
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.
- VINEYARD DETAILS
- APPELLATION
- Russian River Valley
- VARIETALS PLANTED
- Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Syrah
- SOIL INFORMATION
- Josephine’s with lots of Franciscan shale
- SOIL CHARACTERISTICS
- Well drained, thin soils that are non-vigorous
- ROOTSTOCK
- 101-14, 3309, 420A
- CLONAL SELECTION
- (CH =17,76) (PN = 777,667) (Zin = JAV, JAH) (Syrah = 877)
- YEAR ACQUIRED
- 2000
- YEAR PLANTED
- 2001
- Tasting Notes
The inviting aromas of black plum, baking spices, and a hint of blood orange make up the bouquet. The entry is sweet with flavors of black plum and barrel spices. A hint of stone fruit is found in the mouthwatering, long finish.
- Winemaker
- Courtney Wagoner
- Consulting Winemaker
- Erin Green
- Cases Produced
- 193