Marietta Cellars

Old Vine Red Lot 72

California, United States

Download Listen

Affectionately known as “OVR,” Marietta’s Old Vine Red is a proprietary red wine made to replicate the field blends of the old vineyards in Sonoma and Mendocino counties. A groundbreaking combination of varietals and multiple vintages first produced in 1982, this wine has blazed the path for red blends for decades. With an historic underground following, it is one of the longest lasting and best known red blends produced today. Predominantly comprised of fresh, young Zinfandel, OVR gets its backbone from Petite Sirah with about three years of age in neutral barrel, and its savory component from Syrah with about two years of age in neutral barrel. Occasionally, other varieties like Barbera, Carignan, or Grenache will be blended in to complement the other elements. The goal is always to create an enjoyable table wine made with integrity that combines pure fruit, a supple mouth feel and a rich, solid structure.

Winemaking

The goal of winemaking at Marietta is to let the fruit speak for itself. Cool fermentations, neutral oak and stainless steel all work in concert to preserve the purity of fruit in the “OVR” wines. Primarily Zinfandel from 2019, fermented and aged in stainless tank, and benefiting from barrel aged Syrah and Petite Sirah from 2018 and 2017. Small amounts of Grenache and Barbera complete the wine. 60% was aged in neutral barrels and 40% was aged in stainless steel.

Vintage

A combination of wine from the 2019, 2018, and 2017 vintages, Lot 72 of Old Vine Red melds the freshness of young wines with the savory and silky characters of aged wines to deliver a refreshing, layered, and pleasurable wine. Each “lot” of OVR is blended to produce the best possible wine from separately aged individual varietals.

Tasting Note

OVR Lot Number 72 is bright and juicy, with strawberry and black raspberry supported by savory notes of briar and slate. The fruity and fresh Zinfandel from 2019 is given added complexity and length by barrel aged Syrah and Petite Sirah from 2018 and 2017. A touch of Grenache and Barbera add a more complex red fruit character and hint of red licorice and white pepper.

Food Pairing

Pair the Old Vine Red with a wide range of foods: pizza, pasta, burgers, roasted vegetables, mushrooms, and tacos.

Color

Red

Grape Varieties

Barbera, Grenache, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Zinfandel

Appellation

California, United States

Farming

Organic

Alcohol

13.5%

Suggested Retail Price

$18

Reviews

"Ripe, juicy"

James Suckling - July 20, 2021 "A ripe, juicy red with blackberry, mushroom, old-bark and tobacco character. Woody and tarry. Some moss, too. Full-bodied with round tannins and a flavorful finish. Mostly zinfandel. Real red." - J.S. 

More on Marietta Cellars Old Vine Red Lot 72

Food & Wine – 2021 Holiday Issue Highlights

December 1, 2021 - Food & Wine's annual holiday issue hit newsstands and recommends SIX wines from VINTUS' portfolio, including Champagne Ayala, Champagne Bollinger, Dog Point Vineyards, Marietta Cellars, Chateau Minuty and Chateau Montelena.…

Wine of the week: OVR, Old Vine Red, NV, Lot No. 72, Geyserville, by Marietta Cellars

December 7, 2021 - The Press Democrat selected Marietta Cellars Old Vine Red Lot No. 72 as its wine of the week. Holiday parties served as the inspiration for this column. The publication's tasting…

Trade Materials

Other Wines by this Producer

Gibson Block Syrah

McDowell Valley, California

Made from the oldest Syrah vines in California, in the heart of the McDowell Valley AVA, this wine reflects the hidden property where it is grown - quiet, obscure and profound. This ancient, dry farmed, mixed block next to the original Gibson Homestead has been producing grapes for over a hundred years. Limited in production due to the unique grape source, this wine is built to enjoy with food.

Game Trail Cabernet Sauvignon

Yorkville Highlands, California

From a high elevation site in the Yorkville Highlands with coastal influence and large diurnal shifts, the Game Trail Cabernet offers an intense, fragrant, savory, and fresh style of Cabernet that speaks of site and demands to be paired with food. This area, with trails worn by mushroom hunters and wild game that travel through the woods, was a refuge for Chris Bilbro, who hunted here and searched for Chanterelles. The mushroom on the label is a tribute to this unique place and its significance.

Angeli Zinfandel

Alexander Valley, California

Marietta Cellars sits at the entrance to a small canyon off Alexander Valley. Known as Angeli Ranch after the family who originally settled there in 1886, the property’s vineyards connect gravel swales from the Russian River to terraced knolls invisible from the valley floor. The extremes of this site create a wine that is powerful but has surprising elegance and clarity.

Christo Red Blend

North Coast, California

Named and styled after Chris Bilbro, affectionately called "Christo" by his great-aunt Marietta, this Rhone varietal blend is gentle but powerful, pleasurable but deep, and refined while raw. An ode to Scot's father and founder of Marietta Cellars, this blend is largely Syrah from the McDowell estate, blended with Petite Sirah from the Angeli Estate and Grenache from the Yorkville Highlands Estate. The pig snout on the label is a reminder of how Chris Bilbro made wild boar sausage and carted his creations around the country to share with chefs and wine lovers alike as he sold Marietta wines.

Armé Cabernet Sauvignon

North Coast, California

Named after Armé, the husband of Marietta and great-great uncle of Owner/Winemaker Scot Bilbro, this Cabernet Sauvignon conveys a taut freshness and aromatic purity. Stylistically balanced between modern California and Old World, this wine is dense with fresh, dark fruit and tempered with a savory, earthy character. The dry fly on the label is a reference to Chris Bilbro's long family history of fishing with his great uncle Armé along the waterways that now adjoin the three estate vineyards.

Nadi Riesling

Cienega Valley, California

This Dry Riesling comes from a special vineyard in the Cienega Valley appellation inland of Monterey, California. These old, dry farmed, head pruned vines produce a small but concentrated crop. The second oldest Riesling in California, this block was planted in 1964.

Román Zinfandel

North Coast, California

Named after cellarmaster Román Cisneros who has worked at Marietta for over 32 years, this Estate Zinfandel is from the Angeli estate vineyard in Alexander Valley and the McDowell Valley estate vineyard. One of the grape varieties that Marietta is famous for, this wine captures the bright, juicy character of Zinfandel, and hearkens to an era before dark, thick and oaky styles of Zinfandel took hold.

Old Vine Riesling

California, United States

Marietta's Old Vine Riesling is the most recent and unique extension of the Old Vine series (or "OVR"). Originally intended as a gift for Scot's partner, Lisa, who is German, the bone dry style of Riesling became a fan favorite and permanent addition. While it is the only wine is the lineup that is not estate grown, it comes from some of California's oldest Riesling vines and offers an extraordinary value and delightful drinking experience.

Old Vine Rosé

California, United States

Marietta's Old Vine Rosé is a perfect extension of the Old Vine series. Made in a Provençale, direct-press style from some of the oldest Syrah and Grenache vines in California, it is fresh, nuanced, and perfectly balanced to enjoy with food or on its own. As always with the "OVR" wines, it delivers a lot more substance and pleasure than you could expect.