2005 Pinot Noir Bondi Home Ranch Water Trough Vineyard
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Tasting notes
Light red. Highly complex nose features dark cherry, lavender, musky earth and mineral aromas; this was raised in 100% new oak but I find the influence minimal. Bright cherry and dark berry flavors are concentrated and show excellent energy, with dusty tannins lending grip. Finishes with a light, crisp texture and a lingering floral pastille note.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
From the cold Green Valley, the 2005 Pinot Noir Bondi Home Ranch Water Trough Vineyard shows loads of tannin, a greener, cooler character, with plenty of pomegranate, sour cherry, menthol, and forest floor. It tastes more like a Loire Valley wine than the typical Pinot Noir from Sonoma. Nevertheless, it has fine ripeness, medium body, and good underlying acidity. Kudos to the Martinelli family, one of the great old winemaking families of Northern California. (They also produce exquisite apples as well.) Previously recommended: 2004 Chardonnay Charles Ranch (91); 2004 Chardonnay Martinelli Road (94); 2004 Chardonnay Woolsey Road (92); 2004 Chardonnay Zio Tony Ranch (89?); 2004 Pinot Noir Blue Slide Ridge (92); 2004 Pinot Noir Bondi Home Ranch Water Trough Vineyard (89); 2004 Pinot Noir Moonshine Ranch (92); 2004 Pinot Noir Zio Tony Ranch (90); 2004 Zinfandel Giuseppe & Luisa (93); 2004 Jackass Vineyard (93); 2004 Jackass Hill Vineyard (95) Tel. (707) 525-0570; Fax (707) 525-9463
About the producer
Martinelli is a Sonoma benchmark for vineyard-designate bottlings—wines built to highlight how strongly a single site can shape Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah, and Zinfandel. Across the range, the focus stays consistent: small-production bottlings that feel distinctly tied to where they’re grown.