2009 Martinelli Chardonnay Martinelli Road
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Tasting notes
Green-tinged yellow. Potent, mineral-accented bouquet of green apple, quince and anise, with complicating notes of chamomile and honeysuckle gaining strength with air. Vibrant, sharply focused orchard fruit and lemon pith flavors show surprising depth and pick up spiciness with air. Finishes sappy and powerful, with lingering iodine and floral notes.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2009 Chardonnay Martinelli Road is one of the more tightly-wound wines in this lineup. Lemon, white flowers, mint and crushed rocks flow effortlessly from the glass. Clean notes of minerality frame the long, intense finish. Martinelli Road was once planted with Zinfandel alone. It remains dry farmed to this day.
The 2009 Chardonnay Martinelli Road is one of the more tightly-wound wines in this lineup. Lemon, white flowers, mint and crushed rocks flow effortlessly from the glass. Clean notes of minerality frame the long, intense finish. Martinelli Road was once planted with Zinfandel alone. It remains dry farmed to this day. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2017. Martinelli is one of the original pioneering families in Sonoma. I tasted a wide range of wines during a recent visit. The 2008 Syrahs, from a challenging vintage, are a bit up and down, but the rest of the wines are all outstanding. As always, these are fairly bold, extroverted wines, but their overall balance is typically superb. Tel. (707) 525-0570
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.