Louisa And Guiseppe Zinfandel
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 5 to 12 years from the vintage release.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
barbecued pork ribs, grilled lamb chops, aged cheddar cheese
✨ wine.spec_sheet
Crafted as a heartfelt tribute to the estate's pioneering founders, Giuseppe Martinelli and Luisa Vellutini, who eloped from Tuscany to California in the late 19th century, this Zinfandel captures the essence of the family's deep-rooted history. The wine is sourced from a vineyard planted by their grandson, Lee Martinelli Sr., using heritage cuttings taken directly from the original, historic Jackass Hill Zinfandel vines. Grown in the cool, fog-influenced microclimate of the Russian River Valley, the grapes undergo traditional, minimalist winemaking, including fermentation with wild yeasts and bottling without fining or filtration. This preserves the wine's signature profile: a remarkably concentrated, full-bodied expression defined by ripe dark berries, warm baking spices, and a vibrant structural acidity that reflects its unique Sonoma 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.