Syrah Chico Hill
⏳ Drinking Window
2021 - 2028
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
roasted lamb chops, grilled ribeye steak, slow-braised venison
✨ Technical Specifications
Crafted from a dramatic, steep hillside vineyard in the Russian River Valley, Martinelli's Chico Hill Syrah is named in honor of Chico Martinelli, a beloved and colorful member of this historic farming family. The vineyard's challenging, near-vertical slope and cool-climate maritime influence force the vines to struggle, resulting in remarkably low yields of highly concentrated fruit. True to the Martinelli family's minimalist winemaking philosophy, the grapes are fermented using only native yeasts and the wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered. This traditional approach coaxes out a remarkably complex, cool-climate Syrah character, defined by intense aromas of crushed black pepper, dark brambly fruit, smoked meats, and savory wild herbs, backed by a powerful yet velvety tannic structure.
🍾 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
Syrah