2011 Chardonnay Martinelli Road

The long, cool 2011 vintage meant fewer grapes but excellent intensity for chardonnay, according to winemaker Bryan Kvamme.That was partially due to a later harvest than in 2010, he added, "so there was the chance to get more flavor development" than in the earlier year.Martinelli's syrah vines produced such concentrated fruit that Kvamme used almost 100% new oak for the two syrah cuvees, and it doesn't show.As for the 2012s, the problem-free growing season allowed the Martinellis to harvest at their leisure, and as long-time fans of this winery know, that means on the late side and at full maturity.Indeed, the zins here range from 15.9% to 17.5% alcohol in '12 and the pinots run from 14.7% to 15.5%--and the fruit was intense enough, as Lee Martinelli, Jr. said, "to handle whatever oak you wanted to throw at it."One of the best aspects of the red 2012s, noted George Martinelli, "is that the fruit is rounded and so are the tannins, with acidity there but in the background."So the wines have no hard edges that need time in bottle to soften.

It's always a pleasure to taste with the Martinelli family, who are among the early pioneers of high quality grape growing and winemaking in Sonoma County. This year, the Chardonnays are particularly impressive. As always, Martinelli aims for a ripe style and wines built on texture. The wines are super-intense and racy. When all the elements come together, the wines are thrilling. Personally, my favorite wines in this range tend to come from the family's vineyards on the true Sonoma Coast, where the underlying minerality of these rugged sites provides a natural counter to the ripe, rich fruit Martinelli farms.