Jackass Vineyard Zinfandel
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 5–15 years from the vintage release.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Barbecued beef brisket, grilled venison, aged sharp cheddar
✨ wine.spec_sheet
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.
🍾 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.