Lolita Ranch

The Lolita Ranch is located on Martinelli Road in Forestville. The property was part of the original Martinelli Homestead Ranch, belonging to Giuseppe and Luisa Martinelli who purchased the steep, forested land in the late 1800s. 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 planted the steep hillside in 2001 with four different grape varietals: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Zinfandel.

2021 was the driest year on record since they started keeping records 127 years ago. It 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 varieties at just about the same time. By the end of the first week, we had 40% of the 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.

Lively aromas of honeydew melon, and lemon zest fill the glass. A very sweet entry followed with a balanced acid mouth and flavors of tangerine zest and powdered sugar. Hints of barrel spice contribute to the long finish.

Three Sisters Vineyard

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.

The 2022 season started out with ideal conditions with early rains helping to push bud break into Spring. While we encountered instances of shatter (a grape berry fails to develop because of incomplete pollination) due to frost, this was limited to specific vineyards. Meticulous attention was given to addressing this issue, as we diligently assessed each block and thinned any clusters affected by shatter. Thankfully, the summer months offered the optimal combination of warm days and perfectly cool nights. However, Labor Day weekend launched what has been marked as one of the most heat-intensive 7-day periods on record for Sonoma County, resulting in a significant number of vineyards reaching their ripening stage simultaneously.

A refined nose of poached pear, lemon custard, and golden apple. The palate opens with vibrant lemon zest and white nectarine, showcasing pure fruit flavors that linger through to a crème brûlée.

Martinelli Road

The Martinelli Road Chardonnay Vineyard is one of our coolest vineyard sites in the Russian River Valley and is consistently one of the last vineyards to be picked. A large portion of the vineyard remains shaded for most of the day by a ridge of old redwood trees. Lee Martinelli Sr. planted this vineyard in 1989 using clone 95, and the vineyard borders the Jackass Zinfandel vineyard on the original Martinelli family homestead ranch.

2021 was the driest year on record since they started keeping records 127 years ago. It 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 varieties at just about the same time. By the end of the first week, we had 40% of the 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.

Beautiful aromas of fresh pineapple, white flowers and barrel spice fill your nose.  Thick upon entry this sensation continues in the mid palate with flavors of ripe pineapple and lime zest.  Juicy tropical fruits are present in the long fresh finish.

Charles Ranch

The Charles Ranch was once one of the largest sheep ranches in Sonoma County. George Charles was a fourth generation rancher in the rugged hills and raised 2,000 head of sheep along with a small herd of bison. George’s son-in-law, Lee Martinelli Sr., was a successful third generation grape grower and consulted with George as to which grape variety would be the most suitable to plant in this unique climate. The distinct micro-climate is two miles inland from the Pacific Coastline at Fort Ross and is ideally suited for growing Burgundian varietals. In 1980 George sold his herd and used the steep 14 acre pasture to plant Chardonnay grapes, becoming a pioneer of grape growing in an area that is now considered a prime viticultural region. The vineyard was planted in 1981, being the second vineyard planted on the far Sonoma Coast.

2021 was the driest year on record since they started keeping records 127 years ago. It 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 varieties at just about the same time. By the end of the first week, we had 40% of the 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.

Delightful aromas of Asian pear, golden apple, and honey are found in the nose. Mouthcoating from entry to finish, this richness complements the flavors of preserved lemon and powdered sugar. Whispers of nutmeg are found in the lengthy finish.

Zio Tony Ranch

The Zio Tony Ranch is named after Lee Sr.’s uncle Tony who was the first in the Bondi family to be born on American soil. Zio Tony, Zio meaning ‘uncle’ in Italian and pronounced ‘tseo’, was a very charismatic man with a big booming voice whom loved a good time. When Zio Tony passed away in 1971 his nephew, Lee Martinelli, Sr., took over management of the estate. The love of his family’s heritage land was too great for Lee to sell the property and in one short season he went from high school teacher to apple farmer. Eventually this apple orchard was converted to vineyards, as the market for apples grew unbearably soft. The vines are planted on rolling hills made up of Gold Ridge soil, with clones consisting of 95, 76, and 548.

The 2022 season started out with ideal conditions with early rains helping to push bud break into Spring. While we encountered instances of shatter (a grape berry fails to develop because of incomplete pollination) due to frost, this was limited to specific vineyards. Meticulous attention was given to addressing this issue, as we diligently assessed each block and thinned any clusters affected by shatter. Thankfully, the summer months offered the optimal combination of warm days and perfectly cool nights. However, Labor Day weekend launched what has been marked as one of the most heat-intensive 7-day periods on record for Sonoma County, resulting in a significant number of vineyards reaching their ripening stage simultaneously.

The nose reveals enticing aromas of lemon peel, powdered sugar, and delicate caramel. On the palate, it enters with a rich, full-bodied texture, offering luscious flavors of lemon oil and velvety vanilla cream. The finish is long and indulgent, beautifully rounded by the delightful essence of lemon meringue pie.

Multiple Vineyards

Our Bella Vigna label is curated from our estate vineyards in the Sonoma Coast appellation. We wanted to create an appellation blend that reflects the characteristics of our Sonoma Coast vineyards and is still true to our Martinelli style. Bella Vigna translates to “Beautiful Vines”, so our winemaking team chose barrels that best denote the flavor profiles of our vineyards, showcasing how beautiful the fruit from the Sonoma Coast can be. This wine is largely made from our Dijon clones 95, 76 and 17

The 2022 season started out with ideal conditions with early rains helping to push bud break into Spring. While we encountered instances of shatter (a grape berry fails to develop because of incomplete pollination) due to frost, this was limited to specific vineyards. Meticulous attention was given to addressing this issue, as we diligently assessed each block and thinned any clusters affected by shatter. Thankfully, the summer months offered the optimal combination of warm days and perfectly cool nights. However, Labor Day weekend launched what has been marked as one of the most heat-intensive 7-day periods on record for Sonoma County, resulting in a significant number of vineyards reaching their ripening stage simultaneously.

This wine is expressive on the nose with aromas of lemon blossom and golden pear. Beautifully integrated flavors of lemon custard and citrus lead to a bright minerality on the palate.