Chardonnay Charles Ranch
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 3–10 years from the vintage release.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Roasted chicken, creamy mushroom risotto, grilled lobster with drawn butter
✨ wine.spec_sheet
The Charles Ranch Chardonnay is sourced from a historic vineyard site in the Fort Ross-Seaview AVA of the Sonoma Coast. Planted in 1980 by George Charles, the father-in-law of Lee Martinelli Jr., this vineyard represents some of the earliest Chardonnay plantings in this rugged, extreme coastal region. Situated on a ridge-top just miles from the Pacific Ocean, the vines are subject to cool maritime breezes and dense fog, which slow the ripening process and preserve natural acidity. Martinelli farms this site with meticulous care, producing a wine that undergoes barrel fermentation and aging in French oak. The resulting Chardonnay is celebrated for its striking balance of rich, concentrated stone fruit flavors, vibrant coastal acidity, and a distinct mineral backbone that reflects its unique terroir.
🍾 wine.about_producer
Established in 1887 by Tuscan immigrants Giuseppe Martinelli and Luisa Vellutini, Martinelli Winery is a historic, family-owned estate nestled in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County, California. Renowned for its deep agricultural heritage spanning over six generations, the winery is celebrated for farming some of the region's most steep and challenging terroirs, most notably the iconic, near-vertical Jackass Hill vineyard. Under the stewardship of the Martinelli family, the estate employs meticulous hand-farming, dry-farming techniques, and minimalist winemaking practices—such as utilizing native yeasts and bottling unfined and unfiltered—to craft wines of extraordinary concentration and character. Their signature portfolio highlights powerful, old-vine Zinfandels, alongside elegant, single-vineyard Pinot Noirs, Chardonnays, and Syrahs that beautifully express the unique microclimates of Sonoma County.