Jackass Vineyard Zinfandel
⏳ Drinking Window
2021 - 2030
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Barbecued beef brisket, grilled venison, aged sharp cheddar
✨ Technical Specifications
Planted in 1887, the historic Jackass Vineyard in the Russian River Valley is home to some of the oldest, head-trained, and dry-farmed Zinfandel vines in California. The vineyard earned its colorful name from a family anecdote: Giuseppe Martinelli was told that only a jackass would attempt to farm a hill so steep. This legendary bottling is celebrated for its massive concentration, voluptuous texture, and remarkable complexity, achieved through extremely low yields from these ancient, self-regulating vines. Crafted with minimalist intervention, including fermentation by native yeasts and bottling without fining or filtration, it delivers an opulent profile of dark brambly fruit, warm baking spices, and earthy undertones that define classic, old-school California Zinfandel.
🍾 About the Producer
Founded in the late 1880s by Italian immigrants Giuseppe Martinelli and Luisa Vellutini, Martinelli Winery is a celebrated multi-generational estate nestled in California's Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast. For over a century, the family has farmed historically significant, steep hillside sites, most famously the iconic Jackass Hill and Jackass Vineyard planted in 1887. Guided by an uncompromising dedication to estate viticulture and low-intervention winemaking, the winery captures the distinct microclimates and soils of Sonoma County. Martinelli is globally acclaimed for its powerful, old-vine Zinfandels, expressive single-vineyard Pinot Noirs, structured Syrahs, and richly textured Chardonnays.
🍇 Grape Varieties
Zinfandel
🍷 Alcohol By Volume (ABV)
15-16.5%