Winemaker Notes
Belloni is a small (7.5 acres) vineyard in Sonoma's Russian River Valley that produces precious little fruit every year. Ravenswood has been harvesting grapes from the Russian River Valley's Belloni Vineyard since 1991.
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
Ricardo and Natalia Belloni grew up in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region, moved to California and eventually purchased a vineyard on Wood Road outside Santa Rosa in 1971. It’s a flat site on clay-loam soil, and the vines—mostly zinfandel, with petite sirah, carignane and alicante bouchet—were originally planted around 1900. It was the age of the vines and the relatively cool Russian River climate that attracted Joel Peterson to the vineyard, part of his collection of single-site zinfandels since 1991. When Belloni hits, as it did in 2015, it’s a wine of restrained power, its fresh blueberry flavors underscored by an earthy focus—by forest floor and savory notes of bluefoot mushrooms. There’s warm generosity pushing against the cool restraint, the flavors lasting on overdrive.
Unapologetically bold, spice-driven and jammy, Zinfandel has secured its title as the darling of California vintners by adapting well to the state's diverse microclimates and landscapes. Born in Croatia, it later made its way to southern Italy where it was named Primitivo. Fortunately, the imperial nursery of Vienna catalogued specimens of the vine, and it later made its way to New England in 1829. Parading the true American spirit, Zinfandel found a new home in California during the Gold Rush of 1849. Somm Secret—California's ancient vines of Zinfandel are those that survived the neglect of Prohibition; today these vines produce the most concentrated, ethereal and complex examples.
A standout region for its decidedly Californian take on Burgundian varieties, the Russian River Valley is named for the eponymous river that flows through it. While there are warm pockets of the AVA, it is mostly a cool-climate growing region thanks to breezes and fog from the nearby Pacific Ocean.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir reign supreme in Russian River, with the best examples demonstrating a unique combination of richness and restraint. The cool weather makes Russian River an ideal AVA for sparkling wine production, utilizing the aforementioned varieties. Zinfandel also performs exceptionally well here. Within the Russian River Valley lie the smaller appellations of Chalk Hill and Green Valley. The former, farther from the ocean, is relatively warm, with a focus on red and white Bordeaux varieties. The latter is the coolest, foggiest parcel of the Russian River Valley and is responsible for outstanding Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.