At the ages of 19 & 16, Giuseppe Martinelli and Luisa Vellutini eloped to California from their small village in Tuscany. Starting out with a little bit of viticultural knowledge and a lot of hard work & determination, they eventually put a 60-degree slope in the Russian River Valley (aptly named Jackass Hill) under vine. Nearly a Century later, budwood from the Jackass Hill Vineyard became the start for another 10 acre parcel of Zinfandel planted in 1994 that supplies the fruit for the Giuseppe & Luisa bottling to this day. | Falling Bright

The 2021 Zinfandel Giuseppe & Luisa is fresh and pure, with ripe cherry, mixed berries, fresh herbs, and spice. Full-bodied and packed with notes of ripe apricot, blackberry, and mocha, it feels expansive on the palate, with ripe tannins and good freshness throughout. | 93 points, Jeb Dunnuck for jebdunnuck.com