Sky Ridge Pinot Noir
⏳ Drinking Window
2022 - 2028
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted duck breast, wild mushroom risotto, herb-crusted pork tenderloin
✨ Technical Specifications
Perched high on a rugged coastal ridge in the Fort Ross-Seaview region of the Sonoma Coast, the Sky Ridge Vineyard sits above the fog line, basking in intense mountain sunlight while being cooled by maritime breezes from the nearby Pacific Ocean. This dramatic elevation and extreme terroir force the Pinot Noir vines to struggle, resulting in small berries with thick skins. The wine is crafted using Martinelli's traditional minimalist approach, including fermentation with wild yeasts and bottling unfined and unfiltered. The result is a Pinot Noir of remarkable concentration, offering a dark fruit profile, exotic spices, and a distinct mineral backbone that reflects its high-altitude coastal origins.
🍾 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
14.0-15.0%