Marietta Cellars

Angeli Zinfandel 2019

Alexander Valley, California

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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.

The estate series from Marietta is made with terroir in mind above all else. For many years these sites were included in blends, though they routinely stood out as extraordinary. These wines are true expressions of unique sites, crafted with freshness, tension and longevity in mind.

Vineyard

The Angeli Ranch was sold to Chris Bilbro in 1990 by Viola Angeli, whose family had originally settled the land in 1886. When Viola was ready to sell the property, she offered it to Chris Bibro because he had purchased the grapes from the ranch for many years and always visited with Viola regularly. 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.

Winemaking

A unique approach of cool fermentations and 15 months of neutral barrel aging emphasize freshness in the Angeli Zinfandel.

Vintage

The 2019 Harvest brought another fantastic year of smooth weather with a slow paced, even growing season. Temperatures were a bit cooler than average, leading to picking a week or so later than typical norms. As per the recent Northern California pattern, fire showed up in late October adding to the stress of the season. However, grapes were picked by then and the only added excitement was power outages and evacuations. Marietta is grateful that their employees and properties stayed safe in 2019 and that the wines show great depth, measured ripeness, and wonderful retained freshness.

Tasting Note

From the Angeli vineyard in the Alexander Valley, these vines are grown in a large gravel swale that was the former Russian River prior to streambed migration. Yielding notes of potpourri and raspberry with exotic undernotes of orange chocolate and roses, this is not your average Zinfandel. Spicy white pepper and mint add freshness and verve to the brambly, dried cranberry filled mouth. Both pleasurable and demanding, this screams to be enjoyed with food… the bright acid and focused mouthfeel balance out rich and savory fare such as duck or mushroom risotto.

Food Pairing

An excellent foil to charred scallions, leg of lamb, and rosemary-scented potatoes, or as a more sturdy accompaniment to a creamy chocolate dessert.

Color

Red

Grape Varieties

Zinfandel

Appellation

Alexander Valley, California

Farming

The Angeli Zinfandel 2019 is made from 100% estate fruit, all of which is organically farmed

Alcohol

14.8%

Suggested Retail Price

$44

Reviews

"Stellar price-to-quality ratio"

Wine Advocate - July 14, 2021 "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.    

"Such a pretty zin"

James Suckling - July 20, 2021 "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.

"Impresses and Overdelivers"

Wine Enthusiast - July 6, 2022 "With Petite Sirah and Syrah, this red impresses and overdelivers on its price point, packing in tons of textured, supple flavor and juicy acidity. Full bodied, it brims in brambly blackberry, cherry and plum, with a lasting sweetness of vanilla and baking spice." -Virginie Boone 12/21

"Long and full of flavor"

Wine Advocate - July 15, 2022 "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 7/22

Trade Materials

Other Wines by this Producer

Gibson Block Syrah

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Made from the oldest Syrah vines in California, in the heart of the McDowell Valley AVA, this wine reflects the hidden property where it is 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. Limited in production due to the unique grape source, this wine is built to enjoy with food.

Game Trail Cabernet Sauvignon

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From a high elevation site in the Yorkville Highlands with coastal influence and large diurnal shifts, the Game Trail Cabernet 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 significance.

Christo Red Blend

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Named and styled after Chris Bilbro, affectionately called "Christo" by his great-aunt Marietta, this Rhone varietal blend is gentle but powerful, pleasurable but deep, and refined while raw. An ode to Scot's father and founder of Marietta Cellars, this blend is largely Syrah from the McDowell estate, blended with Petite Sirah from the Angeli Estate and Grenache from the Yorkville Highlands Estate. The pig snout on the label is a reminder of how Chris Bilbro made wild boar sausage and carted his creations around the country to share with chefs and wine lovers alike as he sold Marietta wines.

Armé Cabernet Sauvignon

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Named after Armé, the husband of Marietta and great-great uncle of Owner/Winemaker Scot Bilbro, this Cabernet Sauvignon conveys a taut freshness and aromatic purity. Stylistically balanced between modern California and Old World, this wine is dense with fresh, dark fruit and tempered with a savory, earthy character. The dry fly on the label is a reference to Chris Bilbro's long family history of fishing with his great uncle Armé along the waterways that now adjoin the three estate vineyards.

Nadi Riesling

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This Dry Riesling comes from a special vineyard in the Cienega Valley appellation inland of Monterey, California. These old, dry farmed, head pruned vines produce a small but concentrated crop. The second oldest Riesling in California, this block was planted in 1964.

Román Zinfandel

North Coast, California

Named after cellarmaster Román Cisneros who has worked at Marietta for over 32 years, this Estate Zinfandel is from the Angeli estate vineyard in Alexander Valley and the McDowell Valley estate vineyard. One of the grape varieties that Marietta is famous for, this wine captures the bright, juicy character of Zinfandel, and hearkens to an era before dark, thick and oaky styles of Zinfandel took hold.

Old Vine Riesling

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Marietta's Old Vine Riesling is the most recent and unique extension of the Old Vine series (or "OVR"). Originally intended as a gift for Scot's partner, Lisa, who is German, the bone dry style of Riesling became a fan favorite and permanent addition. While it is the only wine is the lineup that is not estate grown, it comes from some of California's oldest Riesling vines and offers an extraordinary value and delightful drinking experience.

Old Vine Rosé

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Marietta's Old Vine Rosé is a perfect extension of the Old Vine series. Made in a Provençale, direct-press style from some of the oldest Syrah and Grenache vines in California, it is fresh, nuanced, and perfectly balanced to enjoy with food or on its own. As always with the "OVR" wines, it delivers a lot more substance and pleasure than you could expect.

Old Vine Red

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Affectionately known as "OVR," Marietta's Old Vine Red is a proprietary red wine made to replicate the field blends of the old vineyards in Sonoma and Mendocino counties. A groundbreaking combination of grape varieties and multiple vintages first produced in 1982, this wine has blazed the path for red blends for decades. With an historic underground following, it is one of the longest lasting and best known red blends produced today. Predominantly comprised of Zinfandel, Old Vine Red combines pure fruit, a supple mouth feel and a rich, solid structure.