Martinelli Pinot Noir, Zio Tony Ranch “Grace Nicole” 2021, Russian River Valley

The Zio Tony Ranch is named after Lee Sr.’s uncle Tony who was the first in the Bondi family to be born on American soil. Zio Tony, Zio meaning ‘uncle’ in Italian and pronounced ‘tseo’, was a very charismatic man with a big booming voice who loved a good time. When Zio Tony passed away in 1971 his nephew, Lee Martinelli, Sr., took over management of the estate. The vines are planted on rolling hills made up of Gold Ridge soil. Tasting notes: Aromas of Blood Orange peel, wet earth, and blackberry preserves fill your nose. Balanced acidity upon the entry and the palate is enhanced with flavors of black cherry, hibiscus, and raspberry tea. The finish is weighty and long and accompanied by flavors of orange peel. 2021 was the driest known year on record and was also the third year of drought conditions for Sonoma County. Contrary to these conditions, the summer was relatively cool and started two weeks later than the previous year. The drought conditions did bring ripeness to each of our varietals at just about the same time. Despite being a very compact harvest, small clusters and berry size have yielded exceptional quality which makes 2021 a standout vintage.