2022 Marietta - Christo Red Blend (750ml)

Marietta Cellars is a family-owned Sonoma and Mendocino winery founded in 1978 by Chris Bilbro, who started out with just a handful of purchased grapes. Today the winery, now run by son Scot, owns 300 acres across Mendocino and Sonoma, farming some of the region's best old-vine Syrah and Grenache organically.

Christo is named for Chris Bilbro himself, affectionately nicknamed "Christo" by his great-aunt Marietta, and the wine stands as an ode to the winery's founder. This Rhône-varietal blend leans largely on Syrah from the McDowell estate, rounded out with Petite Sirah from the Angeli Estate and Grenache from the Yorkville Highlands Estate, a lineup of some of Marietta's most storied vineyard sites.

Aged in neutral oak, this is a powerful, full-bodied red built on a solid core of ripe fruit. Expect an aromatic profile of spice, ripe plum, and earthy forest floor, with floral hints of violet and lavender emerging with air. On the palate, black pepper cuts through intense, rich berry flavors, leading to a lengthy finish with juicy blackberry fruit and light, approachable tannins.

This is a generous, food-friendly red well suited to grilled meats, hearty stews, or a simple charcuterie spread, and a wine built to age gracefully over the coming years.