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Wine Description
The Story
The rich, opulent Pinot Noir and Chardonnay crafted at Marcassin is minimally produced and very hard to get a hold of. Helen Turley's personal production philosophy shapes her winemaking process to be focused on quality and excellence always calling for, "great vineyards, meticulously farmed, limited yield, long hang time, and natural yeast." The 20-acre estate vineyard on the Sonoma Coast produces only 100 barrels annually. None of the wines interact with fining, filtering, or cold stabilization and are routinely aged for five years before they're released. This is among California's most highly acclaimed, intimidatingly rare treasure: Marcassin.
Vintage 2001
A roller coaster ride
An early spring, a surprise frost and early heat spikes led to a bit of a roller coaster ride for the 2001 crop. The up-and-down temperatures began with a cold and harsh March, with two deceptive heat spikes into the 80s, which coaxed the vines into a slightly earlier bloom. The hottest May on record and the third hottest June (in total degree days) led to harvest around two to three weeks ahead of normal. August cooled to near perfect temperatures with cool nights, allowing the grapes to settle and extend the all-important hang time on the vine, producing remarkably clean fruit.