Winemaker Notes

The 2023 Bella Vigna Pinot Noir boasts a bouquet of summertime cherries and raspberries. On the palate you will find supple flavors of ripe cherries and pomegranate, with a dusting of cinnamon.

Our Bella Vigna label is curated from our Estate Pinot Noir vineyards primarily in the Russian River Valley appellation. We wanted to create a blend that reflects the characteristics of our Estate vineyards and is still true to our Martinelli style. Bella Vigna translates to “Beautiful Vines”, and our winemaking team chose barrels that best denote the flavor profiles of our small, Pinot Noir vineyards combined.

When we look back at the 2023 growing season there are two words that perfectly describe the vintage – late and big. After an exceptionally wet and cool winter, bud break happened over a month later than average. Our first day of picking was the day after the harvest completed the previous year. Fruit set was excellent and the temps during the summer were moderate to cool, with very few days in the triple digits. What a contrast from 2022! Mild temperatures along with abundantly available water allowed the clusters to develop slowly and evenly.

70% of the grapes sourced for this wine are from our Russian River Valley estate vineyards. 30% from our vineyards in the Fort Ross-Seaview AVA.