Starting with only a handful of purchased grapes in 1978, Marietta Cellars has been a standout winery in Sonoma and Mendocino since the very beginning. Founded by Chris Bilbro, a Sonoma County native with winemaking roots dating back three generations, Marietta rose to prominence with its revolutionary Old Vine Red, a California red blend that essentially created the category. The winery has slowly expanded its estate holdings over the past thirty years, evolving into a beacon for high-quality, balanced Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, and Rhône variety blends. Now fully estate-based and organically farmed, Marietta has vineyards spanning 310 acres in the Alexander Valley, McDowell Valley, and Yorkville Highlands. Notable among their heritage plantings are California’s oldest Syrah blocks, planted in the late 1800s.
Scot Bilbro, Chris’s son, has brought Marietta into its next, incredibly exciting phase. After graduating from UC Davis with a degree in Viticulture and Enology in 2007, Scot joined the winery full-time, assuming the role of winemaker in 2012. Steeped in the history of the California wine country and the traditions established by his father, Scot combines his creativity and technical background in guiding the winery’s vision of viticulture and winemaking. Today, the fusion of traditional values and style with modern precision has culminated in the most highly regarded wines of Marietta’s four-decade history.
OVR Lot Number 73 is bright and juicy, with strawberry and black raspberry supported by savory notes of briar and slate. The fruity and fresh Zinfandel from 2020 is given added complexity and length by barrel-aged Syrah and Petite Sirah from 2019 and 2018. A touch of Grenache and Barbera adds a more complex red fruit character and a hint of red licorice and white pepper.
Pair the Old Vine Red with a wide range of foods such as pizza, pasta, burgers, roasted vegetables, mushrooms, and tacos.