2023 Martinelli Pinot Noir Wild Thyme Vineyard
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Tasting notes
The 2023 Pinot Noir Wild Thyme Vineyard comes from vines planted between 2009 and 2011 at 1,300 feet of elevation. Matured for 11 months in 50% new French oak, it has inviting aromas of raspberry, red cherry, orange and rhubarb plus undertones of amaro and forest floor. The medium-bodied palate offers highly concentrated, mouthwatering flavors, and its soft, dusty tannins and energetic finish make it dangerously easy to drink. 130 cases were made.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Erin Brooks, Wine Advocate
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From the windiest site of the property, the 2023 Pinot Noir Wild Thyme is a jeweled ruby color and has more notes of raspberry liqueur, ripe fruit, a floral perfume, and wild sweet herbs. The palate is savory, with ripe tannins and dark, gravelly earth notes on the long finish. Clone 943 is more of a winemaker’s clone and offers more depth and a more mountainous feel to the wine. It’s a lovely red to drink or stash away over the next 10-12 years. One of the most historic names in Sonoma, the Martinellis are sixth-generation winegrowers based in the heart of the Russian River Valley. Prolific farmers, all of their wines come from estate-grown fruit, with 90% of the grapes sold off to other wineries. In addition to focusing on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, they also produce Zinfandel, Syrah, and Muscat of Alexandria. Courtney Robinett Wagoner joined the team in 2015 as the assistant winemaker before being promoted to winemaker in 2017.
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.