Pinot Noir Lolita Ranch
⏳ Drinking Window
2020 - 2026
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
roasted duck, creamy mushroom risotto, grilled salmon
✨ Technical Specifications
The Lolita Ranch vineyard, situated on the steep, terraced slopes of Westside Road in the Russian River Valley, was planted in 1999 and named in honor of Lolita Martinelli. This unique site benefits from the region's signature cooling fog and warm afternoon sun, allowing the Pinot Noir grapes to achieve optimal ripeness while retaining balanced acidity. Martinelli's winemaking philosophy for this cuvée emphasizes minimal intervention, utilizing native yeast fermentation and bottling the wine unfined and unfiltered. The resulting Pinot Noir is celebrated for its opulent, full-bodied character, showcasing intense aromas of dark cherries, wild berries, and warm baking spices, grounded by a distinct earthy complexity that reflects its rugged terroir.
🍾 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
Pinot Noir
🍷 ABV
14.5-15.5%