2019 Martin Ray Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

2019 Martin Ray Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

2019 Martin Ray Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

The 2019 Martin Ray Rose of Pinot Noir opens with fresh macerated wild strawberries with bright citrus notes and racy, vibrant acidity. A touch of pink grapefruit and quince lingers throughout with a rich, creamy finish.

James Suckling (91/100)
A very dry, linear rosé with sliced lemons, apples and strawberries. Medium body. Crisp finish. Provence in Sonoma.

Wilfred Wong (90/100)
COMMENTARY: The 2019 Martin Ray Vineyards & Winery Rosé of Pinot Noir offers excellent richness from start to finish. TASTING NOTES: This wine is bright and sassy on the palate. Enjoy its aromas and flavors of ripe berries with salmon and avocado sashimi handrolls. (Tasted: April 19, 2020, San Francisco, CA)

Courtney Benham acquired the historic Martini & Prati winery in July 2003, which is now Martin Ray Winery and the home of their new tasting room. The tasting room structure, dating back to the 1900’s, used to serve as a stable and bunkhouse where Italian immigrants stayed during harvest and crush. The winery also houses a 1 million gallon production facility that is used not only for wine production, but also as a ‘custom crush’ facility where over 20 clients crush their grapes and produce their wine.

Established in 1881 as the Twin Fir Winery, the historic site is distinguished as the oldest winery in continuous operation in Sonoma County and one of the oldest wineries in California. The winery was able to stay in operation during prohibition by selling sacramental wines by train to Rabbis through a winery in New York. Originally known as Martini & Prati, which was established in 1902, the winery was run by five generations of the Martini family and associated with the local Italian-American community that still includes the Sebastiani’s, the Foppiano’s, the Pedroncelli’s and the Seghesio’s.

Home to a diverse array of smaller AVAs with varied microclimates and soil types, Sonoma County has something for every wine lover. Physically twice as large as Napa Valley, the region only produces about half the amount of wine but boasts both tremendous quality and variety. With its laid-back atmosphere and down-to-earth attitude, the wineries of Sonoma are appreciated by wine tourists for their friendliness and approachability. The entire county intends to become a 100% sustainable winegrowing region by 2019.

Grape varieties are carefully selected to reflect the best attributes of their sites—Dry Creek Valley’s consistent sunshine is ideal for Zinfandel, while the warm Alexander Valley is responsible for rich, voluptuous Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are important throughout the county, most notably in the cooler AVAs of Russian River, Sonoma Coast and Carneros. Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Syrah have also found a firm footing here.