Vellutini Ranch Syrah
⏳ Drinking Window
2021 - 2028
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted lamb chops, grilled ribeye steak, venison stew
✨ Technical Specifications
The Vellutini Ranch Syrah is a dramatic expression of cool-climate Russian River Valley Syrah, grown on a property contiguous to the historic Jackass Hill. Planted in 1999 on the steep, Goldridge sandy loam soils of the Vellutini Ranch—named in honor of Luisa Vellutini, who co-founded the estate with Giuseppe Martinelli in the late 19th century—this vineyard benefits from morning coastal fog and warm afternoon sun. The wine is crafted using traditional, minimalist techniques, including fermentation with wild yeasts in open-top oak vats and aging in French oak barrels. Unfined and unfiltered, it showcases the signature Martinelli style: remarkably bold, deeply concentrated, and intensely aromatic, balancing dark fruit, cracked black pepper, and savory smoked meat characteristics.
🍾 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
🍷 Alcohol By Volume (ABV)
14.5-15.5%