Martinelli Vineyards & Winery

The Martinellis have farmed this ground since the 1880s and keep about a tenth of what they grow. Jackass Hill is so steep that only a jackass would farm it, and Giuseppe did.2 1

Why go

The family works more than 470 acres of estate vineyard across the Russian River Valley, Green Valley and the coastal Fort Ross-Seaview, and sells most of the fruit.4 That split is what you taste. Mobley describes a flight that runs from lean, earthy Pinot Noir and Chardonnay off the rugged coast to the richer versions from the warmer valley floor.2

Jackass Hill is the vineyard the family is known for, and the slope gave it the name. Giuseppe Martinelli farmed it and his son Lee still does, and Mobley's account of why is short: only a jackass would dare.1 Sixty-three cases came off it in 2014 at $120 a bottle, so nobody pours it at the counter.1

You taste in a turn-of-the-century hop barn.4

Order this / avoid

Order: the Vellutini Zinfandel, which Mobley calls complex and brambly, or the blue-fruited Giuseppe & Luisa beside it.1
Order: the Bella Vigna Chardonnay. Mobley rates it the most balanced Chardonnay here, still rich but with a crisper edge than the Zio Tony.1
Order: the Zio Tony Syrah if it is open. She found steak sauce and green olive in it.1
Avoid: the Pinot Noir if you want restraint. Mobley says the range here can get jammy.1

What locals & experts say

Esther Mobley, San Francisco Chronicle (13 September 2016): It's an easy place: laid-back, not requiring an appointment, the sort of place where you just edge one shoulder into the counter and hold out your glass. The wines are sound, the tasting fee is modest and there's no pressure to buy a bottle. She also calls the room like a classier Cracker Barrel.1
Bryce Wiatrak, San Francisco Chronicle (30 July 2019), naming Martinelli one of six Sonoma masters of old vines: Their Jackass and Jackass Hill Vineyard Zinfandels count among their most sought-after examples of the variety, while their more easily found Giuseppe and Luisa Zinfandel also demonstrates the bountiful house style.3

Good to know

Open 10am to 5pm daily. The Hop Barn Tasting is $25 at the bar and takes walk-ins.4
The terrace costs more and comes with food. $50 for the Vineyard Terrace, and Mobley says the terrace tasting usually arrives with bite-size pairings.4 2
The Collector's Flight runs $125 for 90 minutes to two hours in the Heritage Room with local cheeses, reservations required.4
The winery names one flight after a point score without saying who gave it or to which wine, so no score is reported here.

Verdict

should-visit — Esther Mobley's tasting notes are the reason for this: lean, earthy Pinot Noir and Chardonnay off the coastal Fort Ross-Seaview against richer Russian River versions, a Bella Vigna Chardonnay she rates the most balanced here, and a Zio Tony Syrah with steak sauce and green olive in it. She warns the Pinot range can get jammy. Bryce Wiatrak puts the Jackass Zinfandels among the most sought-after in the county. Against all of that, the famous bottle is not poured, and the room is a $25 walk-in counter rather than an occasion.

Martinelli Vineyards & Winery.