2015 Martinelli Chardonnay Zio Tony Ranch
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Wine Spectator
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
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The 2015 Chardonnay Zio Tony Ranch features a fairly oaky nose to begin, with toast and cashew notes giving way to expressive pink grapefruit, green mango and guava scents plus a waft of mandarin peel. Full-bodied, rich and seductive in the mouth, it fills the palate with savory and tropical fruit layers that are supported by a zippy line of acid and finishes with a lingering nuttiness. 300 cases produced.
The 2015 Chardonnay Zio Tony Ranch is powerful and dense in the glass. The low yields of the vintage have blurred some of the signatures of this site. To be sure, there is plenty of textural richness and viscosity, but not as much detail or nuance as there can be. Zio Tony gets the most new oak (60%) of the Chardonnays in this range. Today, the oak is a bit intrusive. It will be interesting to see how the 2015 develops in the coming years.
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.