|
Marietta Cellars is located just outside the little town of Geyserville in one of California’s premier wine growing regions, Sonoma County. Owner and winemaker Chris Bilbro founded Marietta Cellars in 1978 in a rented cow barn in the Dry Creek Valley. The winery is named after Chris’ great aunt. Aunt Marietta was an Italian immigrant who was known for always having a stock pot on the stove, a bountiful garden and a plentiful table. Chris' love of food and cooking came from Marietta, which led to his pursuit of making fine wine. He produces full-flavored, ripe wines that will stand up to hearty, lovingly made foods. To this day, he has a hands-on approach to grape growing, monitoring the vineyards weekly on his ATV, and ultimately approving every wine before bottling. The 2005 Angeli Cuvee (a blend of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and Carignane) was aged in primarily French oak for 18 months, and is almost black in color, with a deep nose of graphite, charcoal and ripe black fruit and layered, brooding dark fruits, vanilla and toasty oak in the mouth.
Wine Advocate
The top wine is the brilliant 2005 Angeli Cuvee, a Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and Carignan blend crafted by proprietor/winemaker Chris Bilbro. One of the finest examples of this wine he has yet made, the 2005 boasts a dense purple color as well as plump, succulent, sumptuous blue, red, and black fruits intermixed with notions of wood spice, earth, and pepper. The wine cuts a full-bodied, fleshy, multidimensional swath across the palate, and the finish lasts over 40 seconds. Very drinkable already, it should evolve effortlessly for another 7-8+ years.
Score: 93.
—Robert Parker,
February
2010.
|
|
Send to a friend
print cellar notes
|
