Chardonnay
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 3–8 years from the vintage release.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Pan-seared sea scallops, roasted chicken with wild mushrooms, lobster thermidor
✨ wine.spec_sheet
Martinelli's Chardonnay portfolio showcases the dramatic cool-climate terroir of the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast. Sourced from estate vineyards planted on steep, goldridge sandy loam soils, these wines benefit from the signature coastal fog and warm afternoon sun. The winemaking philosophy remains deeply traditional and minimalist: the grapes are whole-cluster pressed, fermented in French oak barrels using only native yeasts, and undergo full malolactic fermentation. Aged sur lie with regular stirring (bâtonnage), the wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered. This meticulous process yields a classic, full-bodied California Chardonnay characterized by opulent stone fruit, toasted brioche, and a distinctive mineral backbone inherited from the ancient marine soils.
🍾 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.