2002 Martinelli Syrah Hop Barn Hill
Market price
Buying options
Tasting notes
Deep garnet in color, the 2002 Syrah Hop Barn Hill is scented of compelling notes of unsmoked cigars, garrigue, tilled soil, dried Provence herbs and black pepper with a core of dried mulberries and preserved plums. Full-bodied, opulently fruited and offering tons of black berry preserves and earthy layers, it has lovely rounded tannins and wonderful freshness, finishing on a lingering aniseed note.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
(15.6% alcohol) Saturated ruby. Superripe, liqueur-like aromas of chocolate, mocha, game, truffle and sweet oak, with a slight dusty aspect. Then shows a liqueur-like ripeness in the mouth but with a distinct hard edge and tough, drying tannins. Very intensely flavored but lacking verve. I must point out that some critics apparently love this syrah, but I don't get much pleasure from this style. I very much enjoyed the 2001 release for its greater pliancy of texture but was similarly troubled by the hardness of the 2000 bottling.
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.