Martinelli, Vellutini Ranch Syrah, Russian River Valley

This is a terrific Syrah. Last bottle. Should have bought more.

I threw this into a Northern Rhone tasting with my wine group and this was either the favorite or the second favorite for the whole group. It really depends on how you feel about CA Syrah. Full bodied, dark fruits. Pretty typical of Martinelli, as it reminds me of their Zins in spirit.

I received 3 bottles of this wine in early 2022 and had a bottle in May of that year. It was very disappointing. This bottle was spectacular. It is now in a prime drinking window. It was a crowd pleaser at a restaurant.

PnP. Color is deep ruby/purple. On the nose: Raspberry, pepper, sour funk, dark chocolate and pepper. On the palate: Raspberry, dark chocolate, cassis, a bit of pepper. Some alcohol heat. This is a very tasty wine. I am not a fan of the high alcohol (a common issue with Martinelli Wines) but the flavors are very nice. Just have to drink a bit less.

Third bottle. Even better this go around

This is a terrific wine. The bottle was open for about one and a half hours before dinner.

I like this, but it was underwhelming given the high price. It looks the part, with dark cranberry-colored fruit that falls just short of opacity. Chunky, chocolatey fruit in the nose, with a bit of vanilla. Dark chocolate fruit on the palate. Maybe opened too soon--although it sat open overnight in the cellar for 20 hours or so. Just expected more. 5-12-16-8: 91/100.

I am rarely disappointed in a bottle of Martinelli wine......but was with this one. It is OK, but not up to the price point nor what I have experienced in the past with other vintages. I am going to let my other two bottles sit until the Fall.

Great syrah

Based on my previous TN this bottle was slo-oxed for ~40 minutes and it paid off by allowing the wine to fully open. The color was a clear deep violet. The nose was quite earthy, along with some dark red fruits, and a touch of coffee. The medium bodied palate showed the earthiness, the dark red fruits, and a coffee/cocoa element, all wrapped in relatively balancing acidity. Based on the presence of these tertiary elements, I would definitely suggest drinking …

Slo-oxed for 15 minutes, but the wine continued to open during our meal. A dark purple color in the glass. The nose presented lots of dark red fruits, along with an element of "funk" that took some time to blow off. The medium bodied palate echoed the dark red fruits, along with some earth, and good doses of pepper and spice. The acidity is lively and relatively balanced, but I would recommend drinking up within the next year or so.

Served with Guinness stew; deep dark fruit flavors and spice notes with medium complexity. Smooth throughout.