Martinelli Zio Tony Ranch Chardonnay 2020, Russian River Valley, California

Planted in 1990, the Martinelli family named the Zio Tony Ranch to honor their uncle Tony, predecessor to the current generation of Martinellis. Zio Tony enjoys a classic Russian River Valley climate, and ideal Goldridge soils. From pruning to shoot selection, thinning, and even the way they move the trellis wires, the viticultural program at Zio Tony reflects generations of farming experience, and produces beautifully balanced vines. The grapes are picked between 25 and 26 degrees brix to ensure mature ripe fruit flavors. They are hand selected at harvest time by Lee Martinelli, Sr. and Helen Turley who taste the grapes and choose when to pick according to the developed concentration of flavors in the berries. The wine is fermented with wild yeast in 75% new French oak barrels, where it rests in on its gross lees for 10 months. The grapes, juice, and then wine are minimally handled. This Chardonnay is neither heat nor cold stabilized and is unfined and unfiltered.