Estate Series Tasting Reviews, Fall 2021
Happy holidays from all of us at Marietta! To celebrate, we’ve opened our cellar with a little something for everyone. Back by popular demand, our crowd-pleasing Happy Holiday Bundle features a bottle of each of our three Estate Series wines, plus a bottle of Rosé, and a bottle of Riesling as a special gift. Or, make a grand statement this season with one of our Estate Series 1.5L Magnums (club members only due to limited quantity – CLICK HERE for immediate access).
Our Estate Series of wines represents the purest expression of our organically-farmed vineyard estates. Learn more about these incredible bottlings below!
2021 Happy Holiday Bundle. SHOP NOW>
Estate Series Magnums. SHOP NOW>
2019 Angeli Zinfandel
ALEXANDER VALLEY AVA | 100% ORGANIC
Zinfandel from terraced old vines at the base of a canyon. Aged in neutral barrels for 15 months, 14.8% ABV. Drink now or age up to 10 years.
Once a component of the Angeli Cuvée, this Zinfandel long stood out for its brilliance, clarity, and leanness. Now, showcased on its own, it speaks volumes about this unique little canyon off Alexander Valley known as Angeli Ranch. The halo-like image on the label pays homage to Viola Angeli, who sold the Angeli Ranch to Chris Bilbro in an angelic act that mirrors her name. 35 acres of vineyards connect gravel swales from the Russian River to terraced knolls invisible from the valley floor. The Angeli Zinfandel takes its name from the homesteading family and exemplifies the cool effect of these unique vineyards in a bright, tense, and stony expression of Zinfandel.
2019 ANGELI ZINFANDEL PRESS
95 POINTS | JAMES SUCKLING
“Such a pretty zin with blackberries, figs, flowers and some bark on the nose. Follows through to a medium body, with firm and fine tannins and a fresh, spicy finish that develops into a black-pepper undertone. Very balanced zin.” – J.S.
95 POINTS | WINE ADVOCATE
“The 2019 Angeli Zinfandel has a medium ruby color and elegant perfume of white peaches, white pepper, tea leaves, licorice and wild berries. The palate balances intense, ultra-perfumed fruit with loads of lift, and it finishes long and full of flavor. This is notable for its stellar price-to-quality ratio.” -E.B.
2018 GAME TRAIL CABERNET
YORKVILLE HIGHLANDS AVA | 100% ORGANIC
Cabernet Sauvignon grown on a mountain ridge. Aged in neutral barrels for 20 months, 14.7% ABV. Drink now or age up to 15 years.
The Yorkville Highlands are the mountain pass between the north end of Alexander Valley and the west end of Anderson Valley, with the small block used for the Game Trail Cabernet perched looking south from 1,400 feet elevation up on the ridge. Coastal influence and large diurnal swings create small berries, thick skins, deep pigmentation, and tons of structure. This wine offers an intense, fragrant, savory, and fresh style of Cabernet that speaks of site and demands to be paired with food. This area, with trails worn by mushroom hunters and wild game that travel through the woods, was a refuge for Chris Bilbro, who hunted here and searched for Chanterelles. The mushroom on the label is a tribute to this unique place and its purity and wildness
2018 GAME TRAIL CABERNET PRESS
94+ POINTS | WINE ADVOCATE
“Medium ruby-purple, the 2018 Game Trail Cabernet Sauvignon has intense aromas of black fruits with accents of tar, earth, iron and leather. The palate is full-bodied and grainy with broody, still youthfully wound fruits and appealing hints of gravel, mint and spice that hint at more development to come with another couple of years in bottle.” – E.B.
94 POINTS | JAMES SUCKLING
“A full-bodied red with blackberry, black-chocolate and walnut aromas and flavors. Bark and sweet tobacco. Mint, too. Flavorful finish. Cloves and black pepper to the fruit at the end.” – J.S.
Gibson Block SYRAH
MCDOWELL VALLEY AVA | 100% ORGANIC
Syrah from the historic, dry-farmed Gibson Block. Aged for 18 months in neutral barrels, 15.1% ABV. Drink now or age up to 15 years.
Made from the oldest Syrah vines in California, this wine reflects the hidden property where it’s grown–quiet, obscure and profound. This ancient, dry farmed, mixed block next to the original Gibson Homestead has been producing grapes for over a hundred years–these unique vines are six feet tall, head-trained, and dry farmed. The vineyard, in a valley surrounded by mountains, benefits from cold gathering on the valley floor, which ensures cools nights and preserves acidity and freshness. Limited in production due to the unique grape source, this wine is built to enjoy with food.
2018 GIBSON BLOCK SYRAH PRESS
96 POINTS | WINE ADVOCATE
“The 2018 Gibson Block Syrah comes from very old vines interplanted with other varieties like Grenache, Trousseau Noir and Mission. They are dry-farmed, picked together and co-fermented. It has a deep ruby-purple color and deep, layered aromas of tar, earth, blackcurrant liqueur, cast iron and dried violets. The full-bodied palate bursts with juicy acidity, sparks of Luxardo cherry and a silky, rounded mouthfeel. It finishes very long and perfumed.” – E.B.
94 POINTS | JAMES SUCKLING
“Blackberry, black-licorice and tar aromas follow through to a full body with round, soft tannins that are reserved and focused. Fresh finish. Rich and spicy at the end with a slight meatiness. ” – J.S.