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Marietta Cellars

Christo Red Blend 2022

North Coast

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Named and styled after Chris Bilbro—affectionately called “Christo” by his great-aunt Marietta—this Rhône varietal blend is both gentle and powerful, deeply pleasurable yet raw and refined. A tribute from Scot Bilbro to his father and the founder of Marietta Cellars, it’s built around Syrah from the McDowell estate, with Petite Sirah from Angeli and Grenache from the Yorkville Highlands. The pig snout on the label nods to Chris’s wild boar sausage-making days, when he crisscrossed the country sharing his creations with chefs and wine lovers. Part of Marietta’s Family Series, this wine embodies the values that have shaped the winery for generations: family, hard work, passion, and a love for the creative spirit of winemaking.

VINEYARD

The Syrah comes from the McDowell Valley estate, situated in a valley surrounded by mountains. This site benefits from a cold sink that ensure cools nights and preserves acidity and freshness. The Petite Sirah comes from the Angeli Estate vineyard in Alexander Valley and the Grenache comes from the Yorkville Highlands estate at 1,400 ft in elevation on the mountain pass between the Anderson Valley and the Alexander Valley.

WINEMAKING

Fermented in stainless steel tanks and barrel aged in neutral French oak barrels for 20 months before bottling.

VINTAGE

The 2022 season, marked by a dry winter, frosty spring, and summer heat spikes, led to a lighter crop with concentrated flavors, ripe tannins, and fruit-forward wines.

TASTING NOTE

Christo blends Syrah, Grenache, Petite Sirah, and Viognier into a vibrant, fruit-forward wine. The nose has notes of tobacco, dried herbs, and spice. Bright acidity balances a velvety mouthfeel, with hints of orange, ripe plum, and molasses.

FOOD PAIRING

Grilled meats, charcuterie

Color

Red

Blend %

68% Syrah, 20% Grenache, 8% Petite Sirah, 4% Viognier

Appellation

North Coast

Certifications

SUSTAINABLE

Farming

Sustainable

Alcohol

14.9%

Reviews

94

Vinous - January 1, 2025 "The 2022 Christo is bold and explosive in the glass. A rush of blackberry, dried herbs, menthol, licorice, chocolate, lavender and scorched earth opens first. This ample, generous Syrah-based red has so much to offer. Its potent, structured personality will be a fine companion to equally hearty dishes at the dinner table. There's a bit of brawn on the finish, but that works well within this style."

93

Jeb Dunnuck - September 16, 2025 "Named for Marietta’s founder and longtime winemaker, the 2022 Christo blends 67% Syrah, 22% Grenache, 8% Petite Sirah, and 3% Viognier, his son Scot building the wine in his dad’s favorite style, balanced and earthy, yet plenty generous in velvety mouthfeel and hedonistic. The Syrah and Viognier are co-fermented. It offers the earthiness of Syrah, with the strawberry goodness of Grenache, and the tannic intensity of Petite Sirah, full-bodied, concentrated, and ready to be enjoyed over the next 10-12 years."

Trade Materials

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Marietta Cellars Christo Red Blend

Marietta Christo Red Blend 2022 Label

Marietta Cellars Christo Red Blend Bottle Shot

Other Wines by this Producer

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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.

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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.

Román Zinfandel

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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 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.

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