Wild Thyme Vineyard Pinot Noir
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 5–12 years from the vintage release.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Roasted duck breast, wild mushroom risotto, herb-crusted pork loin
✨ wine.spec_sheet
Perched high on a coastal ridge in the Fort Ross-Seaview appellation of Sonoma County, the Wild Thyme Vineyard is named for the fragrant wild herbs that carpet the vineyard floor. Planted in 1998, this extreme site is defined by its rugged topography, cool maritime breezes, and signature coastal fog. These challenging conditions force the Pinot Noir vines to struggle, producing small, thick-skinned berries with remarkable concentration and structural depth. True to the Martinelli family's minimalist winemaking philosophy, the grapes are hand-harvested, fermented with wild yeasts, and aged in French oak barrels before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. The resulting wine is a powerful yet elegant expression of the Sonoma Coast, marked by a distinct savory undertone of wild herbs, dark red fruits, and a vibrant mineral spine.
🍾 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.