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Marietta Cellars

Christo Red Blend 2021

North Coast, California

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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.

Marietta’s family series is an ode to the elements that have unified the family’s winemakers over time: family, hard work, passion, and a love for the creative process that is winemaking.

Vineyard

The Syrah comes from the McDowell Valley estate, situated in a valley surrounded by mountains, benefits from the 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

68% Syrah is co-fermented with a small 4% of Viognier for aromatic lift and blended with 20% Grenache, and 8% Petite Sirah, then aged for 16 months in neutral barrels.

Vintage

2021’s extremely cold and dry winter coupled with a windy spring made for a lighter yielding crop and small berries. These tiny clusters and berries went through the mild growing season with accelerated ripeness and made for a darker more intense wine. Harvest happened a week early across all varietals. Flavors were riper, denser, and showcased more red fruit then other vintages. This was a stellar growing season and the resultant wines are fresh and bright now but are built to age gracefully.

Tasting Note

“This dark saucy number is redolent with licorice, slate, and molasses. Brighter notes of honey and lavender lift the nose while added complexity comes in with warm spice and pepper. The mouth is deep, full, and smooth, with a touch of chalk in addition to the broadly scaffolded tannins. A surprising amount of fresh acid leads juicy blackberry across the mouth and focuses the heft of this wine to perfectly balance between joyful exuberance and brooding intensity.” – Scot Bilbro, Winemaker

Food Pairing

Like the snout on the label suggests, Christo pairs well with wild boar sausage, game and other rustic dishes. Try it with olive-braised rabbit, cassoulet or mushroom ragù over polenta.

Color

Red

Blend %

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

Appellation

North Coast, California

Alcohol

14.9%

Suggested Retail Price

$28

Reviews

93

"Mineral-driven fruit and a long, perfumed finish"

Wine Advocate - October 23, 2023

“The 2021 Christo is a blend of 68% Syrah, 20% Grenache, 8% Petite Sirah and 4% Viognier. The nose features fresh blackcurrant and blueberry aromas with tones of cast iron, violet, sagebrush and conifer. The full-bodied palate is chalky and refreshing with restrained, mineral-driven fruit and a long, perfumed finish. Give it 2-3 years in bottle or a couple hours in a decanter..” - E.B. 10/23

 

Trade Materials

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Marietta Cellars Christo Red Blend Bottle Shot

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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.

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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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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.