2006 Martinelli Syrah Zio Tony Ranch Gianna Marie
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Tasting notes
Glass-staining purple. Powerful aromas of blackcurrant, blueberry, olive tapenade and graphite, with a suave undercurrent of cured tobacco. Fleshy, alluringly sweet black and blue fruit flavors are brightened by smoky Indian spices and given gentle lift by a slow-building mineral quality. The finish repeats the spicy note and hangs on tenaciously.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
A dense purple color as well as notions of bacon fat/lard, flowers, licorice, and blackberries characterize the 2006 Syrah Zio Tony Ranch. Full-bodied, powerful, and backward, it needs several years of bottle age, and should keep for 8-10 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.