2010 Martinelli Chardonnay Zio Tony Ranch

Bright gold. Ripe pear and yellow plum aromas are complemented by notes of chamomile and vanilla. The richest and fleshiest of this year's set of chardonnays, offering powerful pit fruit and honey flavors and suggestions of clove and candied orange. Closes on a smooth, supple note, with very good punch and lingering spiciness.

Rich, broad and creamy, the 2010 Chardonnay Zio Tony Ranch is the most overly rich of the 2010 Chardonnays. Seemingly endless layers of honey, super-ripe yellow orchard fruit and butter emerge from a Chardonnay that at times appears to have the structure and broad shoulders of a red wine. The Zio Tony is the deepest of the 2010 Chardonnays from Martinelli. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2025. Ask the locals in Sonoma who the most meticulous farmers are in the region, and one answer comes back with astonishing frequency -- Martinelli. Originally from Lucca, Italy, Giuseppe Martinelli and his family were attracted to hillside sites that reminded them of their native Tuscany. Ironically, many of the locals thought those places were too steep and hard to work, but time has proven Martinelli had a keen understanding of sites. Today, these are recognized as some of the finest vineyards in California. The Martinelli family still sells most of their grape to other wineries, but they also vinify and bottle a small amount of their production. As always, these are big, rich wines built on opulence. The Martinelli approach seems to work best with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. I find the Syrahs less interesting, as Martinelli’s philosophical approach to harvest very late seems to blur some of the differences among vineyards, which is a shame. That is especially evident in a vintage like 2009, which yielded plenty of richness on its own. The 2010 Zinfandels are also inconsistent, but here it is the huge heat spikes late in the season that compromised the crop and the overall quality of the vintage. Martinelli lost 50% of their Zinfandel crop that year. The resulting wines, while excellent when taken on their own, aren’t quite at the level long-time Martinelli fans expect. The Martinelli wines remain unique within the broad landscape that is Sonoma. At their best, these wines are stunning. Tel. (707) 525-0570