2007 Martinelli Pinot Noir Blue Slide Ridge Vineyard
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Tasting notes
Vivid ruby-red. Pure, mineral-driven aromas of raspberry and candied cherry, with a suave floral undertone. Then tightly wound and focused on the palate, displaying nervy red and dark berry skin flavors and fine-grained tannins. A distinctly cool style but this is also improbably broad and concentrated, with excellent finishing clarity and sweet persistence. This site is planted to the Dijon clones 115, 667 and 777, "which are specifically suited to cool sites like this," said Lee Martinelli.
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Always the most complex for my olfactory senses is the Pinot Noir Blue Slide Ridge. The 2007, made from Dijon Clones 667, 777, and 115, exhibits DRC-like aromas of blue and black fruits, raspberries, cherries, forest floor, and spring flowers. Full-bodied, opulent, broad, and seductive, this lush, heady Pinot can be enjoyed over the next 7-8 years. Martinelli’s Zinfandel portfolio continues to grow, with as many as five different offerings now available. The 2006 and 2007 Jackass Hill Vineyard cuvees were not tasted at this visit. However, the other four wines I tasted, all from steep hillside vineyard sites with the newer plantings planted from bud wood of both the Jackass Hill and Jackass vineyards, were brilliant. They are among the fullest-bodied, headiest, most distinctive Zinfandels made in California. 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.