2021 Martinelli Chardonnay Martinelli Road
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Tasting notes
The 2021 Chardonnay Martinelli Road, from vines planted in 1989, takes some coaxing to reveal scents of white peach, toast and allspice. The palate is much more revealing, offering generous layers of spicy stone fruit to match its toasty oak character. It’s foiled by mouthwatering acidity and has a long, layered finish. 223 cases produced.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2021 Chardonnay Martinelli Road is a bright straw yellow color and is highly expressive in its fresh tropical aromas of fresh pineapple, toasted spice, tangerine, and melon rind. Full-bodied, it has a rounder feel, offering creamy richness without feeling heavy, and it reveals notes of marzipan on the ripe finish. It’s generous now, offering a lot of immediate charm, and it’s going to hold up over the next 7-8 years. One of the most historic names in Sonoma, the Martinellis are sixth-generation winegrowers based in the heart of the Russian River Valley. Prolific farmers, all of their wines come from estate-grown fruit, with 90% of the grapes sold off to other wineries. In addition to focusing on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, they also produce Zinfandel, Syrah, and Muscat of Alexandria. Courtney Robinett Wagoner joined the team in 2015 as the assistant winemaker before being promoted to winemaker in 2017.
The 2021 Chardonnay Martinelli Road is another magnificent wine in this range. Lifted aromatics, deep, resonant fruit and tons of textural nuance meld together in a Chardonnay that captures all the signatures of the Martinelli house style as it is today, an approach that marries richness with energy.
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.