2002 Martinelli Zinfandel Jackass Hill Vineyard
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Tasting notes
The 2002 Jackass Hill Zinfandel might be too much of a good thing. One-hundred sixty-five cases of 17.5% alcohol make it certainly perhaps the highest alcohol ever achieved in a Martinelli Zinfandel, and it is a legitimate question if this is still “table wine.” The remarkable thing is that they get the fermentation to finish, and the wine is completely dry with no residual sugar. An extraordinary nose of maple syrup, sassafras, figs, smoke, roasted meats, mincemeat, and black cherries jump from the glass of this layered, full-throttle, dense, powerful, potent wine. I would opt for drinking it during its first decade of life to take advantage of the fruit, but expect more than a glass to knock you “side-ways.” Tel. (707) 525-0570; Fax (707) 525-9463
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
(17.5% alcohol, vs. 16.3% for the Jackass Vineyard) Dark ruby-red. High-toned nose dominated by roasted plum, prune and eucalyptus, plus a whiff of varnish. Hugely ripe, fat and opulent, but in a rather heavy style. By comparison, the Jackass Vineyard bottling is fresher and more vinous. As with some past vintages of this zinfandel, I don't find the exuberant berry character of the variety.
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.