Martinelli Winery
2009 Zio Tony Ranch Syrah
Syrah •Zio Tony Ranch
California: Sonoma County
Mission Briefing

How Bout Them Apples
At long last, I’m revealing our Wine Spies 2015 Intrigue Awards winner for Wine of the Year, the stupendous, rich, and delicious Martinelli 2009 Zio Tony Ranch Syrah!
This is our final showing of this amazing wine, so grab yours while you still can!
Pioneering Russian River Valley winery Martinelli is well-known for crafting superlative Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but the case could easily be made for them as California’s top Syrah producer as well. Robert Parker has rated 25 different Syrah from Martinelli with an average rating of 93 points!
The rare Zio Tony Ranch Syrah is a sublime wine, and sets the bar high for other CA Syrah. A must buy for collectors and fans of huge full-throttled wines.
Today only: Shipping included on 3+ bottles!
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Here’s what the wine press has to say:
“The estate’s 2009 Syrah Zio Tony Ranch saturates the palate with masses of dark blue/black fruit. A huge, voluptuous wine, the 2009 is all about texture.
Ultimately, the 2009 is a wine of silkiness and layers of flavor that continues to build with considerable energy and focus. Melted road and graphite are some of the notes that add complexity on the finish.
Today, the 2009 is young, young, young. It will be interesting to see where this goes over the coming years. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2029.” - 94 points Antonio Galloni, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
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92 points - Josh Raynolds, Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar.
Tasting Profile
Look: | Black and opaque. |
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Smell: | Wow. Smoked meat, teriyaki, chocolate covered espresso beans, white pepper, blackberry jam, and dried lavender. Pretty amazing array of vivid scents. |
Taste: | It’s a massive wine. The flavors are framed by luscious black fruit: soy sauce, blueberries, camp smoke, bacon, grilled peach, 70% cacao chocolate, and more. Unparalleled complexity for a California Syrah. |
Finish: | Ripe and intense, but somehow manages to avoid heat and bluster. Mouth coating. Tooth staining. Incredibly delicious. |
Pairing: | This makes a strong case for a stand alone drink. It can handle baby back ribs, mole, and hearty winter stews like beef bourgignon. |
What the Winery Says
- Winemaker
- Helen Turley
- Grape Varietal
- 100% Syrah
- AVA
- Russian River Valley, Sonoma County
- Winemaking
- 90% new French oak for 13 months, bottled unfined and unfiltered
- Alcohol
- 15.4%