Chardonnay Lolita Ranch
⏳ Drinking Window
2022 - 2026
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
roasted chicken with herbs, lobster thermidor, creamy mushroom risotto
✨ Technical Specifications
The Lolita Ranch Chardonnay comes from a steep, east-facing hillside vineyard in the Russian River Valley, planted in 1999 by Lee Martinelli Jr. and George Martinelli. The ranch is named in honor of their aunt, Lolita Martinelli. This unique terroir features well-draining Goldridge sandy loam soils, which naturally limit yields and concentrate flavors. In the cellar, the wine is crafted using traditional, low-intervention methods: whole-cluster pressed, fermented with wild yeasts in French oak barrels, and aged on its lees to develop a rich, creamy texture. Bottled unfined and unfiltered, this Chardonnay beautifully balances the bold, ripe stone fruit characteristics of Sonoma County with a vibrant, mineral-driven acidity derived from its hillside exposure.
🍾 About the Producer
Martinelli Winery represents one of the most storied multi-generational viticultural legacies in Sonoma County, dating back to 1887 when Tuscan immigrants Giuseppe Martinelli and Luisa Vellutini first planted vines in the Russian River Valley. The estate's crown jewel remains the famed Jackass Hill—a perilous, non-terraced 60-degree slope planted to historic heritage Zinfandel and Muscat of Alexandria. Across more than 450 acres spanning Russian River Valley and Fort Ross-Seaview, the Martinellis cultivate cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, as well as heritage Zinfandel and Syrah, across Goldridge sandy loam and marine gravel soils influenced by dense Pacific coastal fog. Winemaking emphasizes site fidelity through ambient yeast fermentations, meticulous French oak élevage, and minimal intervention, bottling without fining or filtration. Benchmark bottlings such as Jackass Hill Zinfandel, Three Sisters Chardonnay, and Zio Tony Ranch Pinot Noir capture rich concentration, vibrant acidity, and profound structural depth.
🍇 Grapes
Chardonnay
🍷 ABV
14.0-15.0%