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Martinelli Winery

3360 River Road, Windsor, CA
(800) 346-1627
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Three Sisters Vineyard Chardonnay 2020

95+ points
Erin Brooks, Robert Parker Wine Advocate

93 points
Antonio Galloni, Vinous

VINEYARD
Three Sisters Vineyard
VINTAGE
2020
ABOUT THIS WINE

The Three Sisters Vineyard consists of two small vineyard sites: the Meadow, and Lambing Barn Ridge, as this land was originally homesteaded in the 1860s for raising sheep by Carolyn Martinelli’s ancestors. These pasture lands were then planted with grapevines in the 1990s. This grape studded view lies upon the second ridge inland from the coastline at Fort Ross. Here above the fog line the skies are clear and pristine, yet in the winter the rain falls harder and denser than anywhere else in Sonoma County.  Both sites are planted with clones 95, 96, and 76 and the soil is a mix of Josephine and Gold Ridge soil.

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 point in the berries’ growth cycle, the skins are softening and developing favors. 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 varieties 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 its 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 were only able to process 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

SPECIFICATIONS

APPELLATION
Fort Ross-Seaview
VARIETALS PLANTED
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
SOIL INFORMATION
Josephine and Goldridge
SOIL CHARACTERISTICS
Well drained, some clay loam
ROOTSTOCK
101-14, 3309
CLONAL SELECTION
(CH = 96, 95, 76) (PN = 115, 777, 667, Pommard)
YEAR ACQUIRED
1860
YEAR PLANTED
1995, 1996
Tasting Notes

Aromas of Asian pear, hazelnut and wet stone are found on the lively nose. The composed palate has flavors of citrus blossom and powdered sugar. Bright and lingering flavors of white flower are found in the finish.

Winemaker
Courtney Wagoner
Consulting Winemaker
Erin Green
Cases Produced
279

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Martinelli Winery

3360 River Road, Windsor, CA
(800) 346-1627
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