Bittritesi

The Bitrittesi vineyard sits within the Sonoma Valley AVA, positioned at the boundary where that appellation meets the Moon Mountain AVA — a transitional zone where hillside and valley floor conditions coexist within a single two-acre parcel. The property is farmed sustainably with minimal intervention, and its modest scale allows for intimate, hands-on attention to every vine. The upper, hillside portion of the vineyard is planted to Dijon clone Chardonnay with vines over twenty years of age — old enough to be considered vieilles vignes by American standards. Elevated exposure and a notably cool microclimate conspire to slow ripening on this half of the property, producing grapes with crystalline acidity and layered complexity. The valley floor portion, by contrast, is planted to the Wente clone of Chardonnay, a younger planting of approximately five years. These lower-elevation vines yield fruit with a brighter, more immediately expressive profile — vibrant citrus character and fresh aromatics that complement the more structured, acid-driven character of their hillside counterparts. Together, the two parcels provide a study in contrasts drawn from a single contiguous site.

Bitrittesi's cellar approach is defined by restraint and patience. Following primary fermentation, malolactic fermentation proceeds immediately in barrel, integrating the two transformations into a seamless, unhurried process. The wine then rests for eleven months in neutral François Frères barrels — vessels ranging from one to four uses — which impart texture and gentle oxygenation without imposing oak character on the wine's natural expression. Rather than racking, the wine remains on its lees undisturbed throughout the élevage, a choice that preserves aromatic integrity and builds palate weight organically. Monthly topping maintains the wine against oxidation during this extended rest. Sulphur additions are kept to a minimum and occur only once malolactic fermentation is fully complete, reflecting winemaker Tyler Martin's commitment to low-intervention winemaking that allows each harvest to assert its own identity.

The story of Bitrittesi begins not in a cellar but on a boat. Ancestors of the Martin family emigrated from Bitritto, a small town outside Bari in the Italian region of Puglia, arriving in America as farmers determined to build a life through the work of their hands. Three generations on, Tyler Martin channels that agricultural heritage into winemaking, establishing Bitrittesi as both a personal project and a tribute to those who came before. The very name of the label — Bitrittesi, the demonym for the people of Bitritto — was deliberately chosen to keep that origin story alive and audible in every bottle. What began as an immigrant's promise to provide for family has evolved, across the decades, into a winery whose ambition is to produce wines worthy of that founding sacrifice.