Page 67 - Grapevine JanFeb 2021_REV

Winery Profile

education at UC Davis,” Bilbro explained. “We ferment We’d do all of this by feel, which is part of that freedom
in stainless steel tanks and age in neutral oak, because of expression.” The OVR is released in lots, two lots per
we want the grapes to preserve the properties of their year. Marietta Cellars is now on lot #71. “The blend
terroir.” In any given harvest, the volume of a grape is always different,” Bilbro noted. “I may add a half a
variety may exceed the room in the fermentation tank, percentage of Cabernet to bring up in some tannins, or
so Bilbro and his team separate those grapes into indi- a bit of Barbera to bring up the acidity. A percentage
vidual tanks for fermentation and aging. Typically, doesn’t seem like much, but it can make a difference.”
Marietta has 80 fermentations with each harvest, some- Whatever the blend, the style of OVR is always the
times with two fermentations from one block, separated same: it’s an easy drinking, medium-bodied wine that’s
by ripeness. Once the separate fermentation lots have full of flavor.
matured in barrel, maybe as long as a year, they bring
individual lots of wine together to create the final wine. As Marietta Cellars looks to the future, more explora-
“It’s much better to make sure the wine is balanced tion is in the cards. Bilbro and his staff are especially
before wrapping the fermentations together rather than excited about their vineyards in McDowell Valley in
finding out a year later that the wine is not as balanced Mendocino, which is renowned for Rhone varieties and
or complete as we like and having to resort to addi- home to some of the oldest Syrah and Grenache Gris in
tives,” he said. “We want to make sure that everything California. “We want to play with historical varieties that
that goes together deserves to go together.” are less articulated out there and rearticulate them,”
Bilbro said. “We also want to work these grapes into
Marietta creates three series of wines: the OVR series, our existing blends to add some nuance.” These grapes,
the Family Series and the Single Vineyard Series. The according to Bilbro, include Mourvedre, Roussanne,
OVR series includes wines made from old vines: the Marsanne, Grenache Blanc, Picpoul and Viognier, all
Old Vine Red; a Rose made from some of the oldest grapes from the Rhone Valley that are becoming more
Grenache and Syrah in the state; and a Riesling sourced popular among U.S. growers.
from the state’s second oldest Riesling vines. The Family
Series features wines that Bilbro names after people in Business-wise, Marietta Cellars recently entered a part-
his life and business: Román, a crisp, modern Zinfandel nership with VINTUS, a wines and spirits importer and
named after their cellarmaster of 34 years; Christo, his marketing agent to expand its presence in the market.
version of a Rhone-style red wine, honoring Chris Bilbro, The company has been named a Wine & Spirits Importer
or “Christo” as his beloved great aunt Marietta (for of the Year five times (2015-2016-2017-2018-2019-
whom the winery is named) called him and a passionate 2020) and in 2017 was named Wine Enthusiast Importer
lover of Syrah; and Armé, a Cabernet Sauvignon that of the Year. VINTUS’ portfolio today includes Chateau
balances New and Old World styles and is named for Montelena, Gary Farrell Winery, Ponzi Vineyards,
Marietta’s husband, Armé and Chris’ adventurous great Champagne Bollinger, E. Guigal, Chateau Minuty,
uncle. The Single Vineyard Series highlights individual Ornellaia, Masseto, Pétrus, Château La Fleur-Pétrus,
vineyards that deliver the purest expression of place: Château Margaux, Masciarelli, Tommasi, Sandrone,
Angeli, a Zinfandel from Angeli Ranch in Alexander Le Macchiole, Quinta do Noval, Dog Point Vineyard,
Valley, settled in 1886 and home to the Marietta Cellars Errazuriz Finca Decero and others totaling more than 40
winery; Game Trail, a cellar-worthy Cabernet Sauvignon leading global estates.
from the Yorkville Highlands; and Gibson Block, a Syrah
from the McDowell Valley, among the state’s oldest Clearly, Marietta Cellars, a small family winery, has
Syrah vines, dating back to the 1880s. been doing big things since it was founded over 40 years
ago. But the goals remain the same as they were in the
While all of these wines are quality wines in their own beginning: to create something special and share that
right, it’s the historic OVR that’s the signature wine for with the world. “Ultimately, sharing what we do with
Marietta Cellars. The winery produces 50,000 cases our lives — rather than our jobs — is important to us,”
of wine a year; 25,000 is OVR. While there’s no recipe Bilbro told The Grapevine Magazine. “Our wine is not a
for the wine, Bilbro said it’s always based on Zinfandel, commodity: It’s something we are pouring our time and
with smaller components of Syrah, Petite Syrah and hearts and souls into. When people drink our wines, we
Carignan. “We have a massive barrel room, almost like hope they think about our family and how much care
a three-dimensional matrix with multiple varieties and and focus we put into what we do so they can actually
multiple vintages,” he told The Grapevine Magazine. feel what it’s like to make these wines and walk these
“My dad and I would pick lots that we thought might vineyards. We want people to experience our wine, not
be relevant to the next release, and we’d blindly taste just taste it.”
through them and put them in different groupings, like
groupings of wines with bright fruit, structure or wines For more information on Marietta Cellars, visit
with savory components. Then we’d pick our favorites www.mariettacellars.com
from each and blend them together to make the OVR.
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