Blue Slide Ridge

The TEST Home Ranch sits at the uthernmost tip of the Russian River Valley in the Green Valley AVA in Sebastopol. Lee Martinelli Sr. inherited this ranch from his uncle when it was still an apple orchard, and has since converted the 20 acres to Pinot Noir grapes. The vineyard is planted with eastern exposure, which promotes even ripening with all day sun. The cool breeze from the sea rises in the late afternoon, skimming along the distant bank of fog, relieving the vines from the afternoon heat and enhancing slower ripening. The clones are 115, 777, 667, 828, 943 and Calera. Bondi Home Ranch has the longest growing season of all of our vineyards; it is the first to bloom and the last to be picked.

2021 was the driest known year on record and was also the third year of drought conditions for Sonoma County. Contrary to these conditions, the summer was relatively cool and started two weeks later than the previous year. The drought conditions did bring ripeness to each of our varietals at just about the same time. By the end of the first week, we had 40% of total tonnage in the winery. This included Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel from both Fort Ross-Seaview and Russian River Valley. Despite being a very compact harvest, small clusters and berry size have yielded exceptional quality which makes 2021 a standout vintage.

Inviting aromas of black plum, sweet leather, and clean minerality greet you upon opening. The entry is slightly sweet with present tannins, along with integrated Oak spice, fig preserve, and black cherry. The multi-layered palate evolves through the long finish.