| Score: |
97 RP.
"Martinelli produces spectacular wines from its landmark Jackass Hill Vineyard (an incredibly steep vineyard planted in 1887). The 1995 Jackass Hill Zinfandel is among the greatest Zinfandels I have ever tasted. Winemaker Steve Ryan spent many a night next to the fermenting tanks coaxing this wine to dryness. It boasts the most amazing extract, purity, and mouthfeel I have ever tasted in a Zinfandel, and believe me, California has produced a bevy of prodigious Zinfandels during the last six years. The opaque black/ruby-colored, dry 1995 Jackass Hill exhibits awesome richness and massive body, with an astonishing inner-core of sweet, ripe fruit. Last year I said the 1994 Jackass Hill (97 points) would become my benchmark Zinfandel, but the 1995 has equaled that wine . . . . More and more wines made from small high quality producers such as Martinelli are being sold via a mailing list. Readers wishing to secure a bottle or two of their most limited production offerings should know what to do." Wine Advocate #111, Jun 1997 |