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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 91.9 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 56 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by mflesh on 12/3/2021 & rated 88 points: Starting to develop a savory note in addition to a lot of black fruit that is showing a bit of age. This wine is not too far over the hill by any means but I do feel that it is probably on the back of the hill about to take the plunge. Weedy, dense, complex red wine. Expected a little more balance here but I definitely wouldn't kick this out of bed for eating crackers. I am really impressed with this wine but wouldn't be the first bottle I would reach for on the second round. (1050 views) | | | Tasted by levinml on 6/1/2016 & rated 89 points: Somehow over the last few years I've gotten to dislike the core flavors of Martinelli zins. Same this time. Hot, weird flavors (compared to the other zin big hitters). Maybe it's just me. (2652 views) | | | Tasted by peterk on 2/21/2016 & rated 94 points: My last bottle. Decanted for 6 hours, re-bottled, then decanted for another 8 hours. The time in the decanter allowed the wine time to integrate and for the fruit to emerge into a concentrated, fat, sweet, juicy, fruity, spicy, delicious wine with a finish that goes on and on. And not a hint of heat despite its 16.5% alcohol. Next stop the 2004! (2786 views) | | | Tasted by SMHalps on 6/14/2015 & rated 91 points: I was surprised at how much fruit this had left. Lots of power and fruit. Maybe a little port like. It was a big hit with the wine group that I shared it with. (3194 views) | | | Tasted by levinml on 1/14/2015 & rated 90 points: A reminder of why I'm not buying Martinelli zins anymore. Matter of personal taste, i think. Wine is still in great shape for 12 years old. Given my like of Turley and Carlisle, this is different in that almost all the Martinellis I've had are jammier, hotter and have a plummy taste. Not a profile I'm enjoying. Just me. (3302 views) | | | Tasted by FLI on 6/17/2013 & rated 89 points: I normally hate high alcohol wines, and this one definitely qualifies at 16.5%. But somehow it manages to keep it integrated. The fruit is deep and rich. No tannins to speak of, but who cares. A berry bomb, packing a punch, but not too "hot" on the palate. Not my favorite style of wine, but a treat nonetheless. (4059 views) | | | Tasted by levinml on 6/15/2013 & rated 92 points: Much better second night under pump. First night a little hot, but as earlier taster noted, after a little air the hotness blows away leaving deep, well-balanced fruit. Enjoyed much more than expected, as recent bottles I've drank seemed overly pruney. This was much more along the lines of a high-end zin expected with the Martinelli Jackass name. (2811 views) | | | Tasted by tsanders on 2/7/2013 & rated 90 points: Pretty good, still maintained more fruit at this point than I would have guessed. Beautiful ruby color with a nose of Strawberry and Raspberry plus a little hint of spice. Can certainly still pick up even more fruit in the taste with a definite Strawberry Jam and a little heat from the alcohol that's building as it ages. The wine has a smooth texture and finishes well, should be drank now if you still have it. (3253 views) | | | Tasted by peterk on 12/15/2012 & rated 92 points: Initially a little hot; however, after an hour the heat blew off leaving a classic Jackass Zin - fruity, rich, and bold. Drink up. (2894 views) | | | Tasted by peterk on 10/14/2012 & rated 92 points: Classic Jackass - yum! (2562 views) | | | Tasted by pattse on 4/8/2012 & rated 90 points: Decanted 50 hours and it was amazing. It could have been decanted even longer. (2009 views) | | | Tasted by rdsboca on 4/3/2012 & rated 94 points: Zin Tasting @ FRank and Dino's - Deerfield Beach, FL: Softer and more feminine than the 2002. More suited to my palate. Rich red fruit - cheries and some red plum. Acidity comes through nicely, holding it together. (2490 views) | | | Tasted by peterk on 2/21/2012 & rated 92 points: Deep purple, lovely nose. A little hot at first, but the heat subsided after a half hour when the wine became a big, rich, concentrated, fruit-driven, classic Jackass Zin. On the second day the wine had declined a bit - time to drink up. (1746 views) | | | Tasted by CRUSHER on 9/4/2011 & rated 86 points: overrated , bit hot , poor balance (2029 views) | | | Tasted by FLI on 7/2/2011 & rated 90 points: For the first 10 minutes after opening, this wine was hot and volatile. 16.5% alcohol will do that. After that, it settled down, and flavors of cherry juice, brown sugar and spice were dominant. Tasty, but I hate to feel so sleepy after two glasses. (2064 views) | | | Tasted by Cashious on 12/26/2010 & rated 93 points: Deep purple color. A rich, peppery aroma. Syrupy, dark fruit flavors. Very syrah-like. A little heat, but only a touch. A long fruit burst of a finish. Excellent. (2317 views) | | | Tasted by 505WineGuy on 11/26/2010 & rated 92 points: We were surprised at how fruity this was. A bit smoky with a long finish. Wish I had another. (2616 views) | | | Tasted by Pearls_b4Swine on 9/11/2010 & rated 88 points: So extracted, so brutish, so alcoholic. Regret saving it this long. (2735 views) | | | Tasted by MarkC on 5/9/2010 & rated 92 points: Interesting Zinfandel. Would have had a hard time picking this as Zinfandel at first. Elements of both Pinot (!) and Syrah. Some cola-like elements, a bit of beef blood, but plenty of sweet, brambly berry fruit, cassis, and a mouth-coating texture with a long finish. Bordered on sweet, but also had plenty of tannin (still). Quite tasty. (PE: 92) (3113 views) | | | Tasted by cnr128 on 2/15/2010 & rated 90 points: It's big and it's bold and it is full of all sorts of stuff. Surpisingly fruity at this age and still has some left to go. Dark berries, kind of smoky and a little bit of Indian spices make this a terrific Zin. A little "hot" but there's so much going on here that it is only one thing you notice. Terrific. (2816 views) | | | Tasted by shaferguy91 on 11/17/2009 & rated 92 points: Still a wonderful zin. No sign of decline. (3177 views) | | | Tasted by Amerique on 6/8/2009 & rated 92 points: Very high extracted, over-riped, intense, full-bodied mixed berry fruit with raisiny, plummy, and cassis flavors, little short finish (3037 views) | | | Tasted by Deb293 on 4/9/2009 & rated 92 points: Some signs of bricking on the pour, but no so much in the glass. Nose of plum compote, vanilla, raspberry jam and spice. On the palate this is rich and spicy, sweet almost. For fans of the full throttle. Finishes a little hot. Don't get me wrong...it'll be a killer with grilled skirt steak. Day two, this is well knit and very berry. Who needs the skirt steak? (3269 views) | | | Tasted by MarkC on 5/3/2008 & rated 92 points: Not completely "correct" compared to most Zins, but I still enjoy this particular vintage of the Jackass. Plummy, raspberry, underbrush and a very viscous mouthfeel, this is way better (to me) than the two or three preceding vintages. I do think it's started to become a little more varietally correct as some of the baby fat has receded and a bit of spicy/pepper has come through, but definitely not for most people. (3494 views) | | | Tasted by mghomula on 4/10/2008 & rated 93 points: Big, big Zinfandel as one who is a fan of Martinelli's JA Zins might expect. A very deep and intense purplish blue in color. Powerful and layered aromas of macerated fruit, jammy blackberries, currant, black cherry and hints of spice (black pepper perhaps) on the nose with just a subtle touch of heat. As others have noted, the high alcohol content is masked by the complexity of the fruit and this Zin is well balanced. Jammy blackberries, currant, raisins, soy, clove and smoke on the palate with a lingering finished. Again, very well balanced and smooth. It has a ton of body and mouthfeel and the flavors are intense. This wine is a testament to 100+ year old vines and the mastery of winemaker Helen Turley. Unlike any Zin you will have and that is a good thing! (3783 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 2005, IWC Issue #120
(Martinelli Vineyards Zinfandel Russian River Valley Jackass Vineyard) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous. (manage subscription channels) |
| Martinelli Producer website
All of the Martinelli Estate vineyards are farmed by Lee Martinelli, Sr., and sons Lee, Jr., and George Martinelli. The wines are made by our winemaker, Helen Turley, and assistant winemaker, Bryan Kvamme. These handcrafted wines are un-fined, un-filtered, neither cold nor heat stabilized and may contain naturally occurring sediment.Zinfandel ZAP: Zinfandel Advocates & Producers | Varietal character (Appellation America) | Wikipedia-ZinfandelUSAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Sonoma CountyMendocino CountyRussian River Valley Russian River Valley Winegrowers Association | Wikipedia |
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