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News
99 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
With a slightly smokier edge to the honeysuckle, poached pear, pineapple and caramelized citrus notes, the 2010 Chardonnay Marcassin Vineyard hits the palate with a full-bodied, thunderous affect of fruit, glycerin and acidity. The wine reveals some smoke in the aromatics, but little, if any, in the flavor profile. Full-bodied, lovely, and again, close to perfection (as so often these wines are), this is a beauty to drink over the next decade or more. (RP) (8/2015)
94 points Vinous
A wine of notable finesse and energy, Marcassin's 2010 Chardonnay Marcassin Vineyard is beautifully focused throughout. Lemon oil, white flowers, orange peel and chamomile are some of the many notes that flesh out in the glass. Overall, this is a fairly restrained style for Marcassin, with richness tempered by the marginal climate of the Sonoma Coast. In this vintage, the Marcassin Vineyard Chardonnay is clearly more interesting, complex and pedigreed than the Pinot. (AG) (5/2015)
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 2008
The year 2008 reminded Napa Valley producers of the climate conditions their European colleagues often battle. The wild weather put the vineyards to the test and required more measures than usual to ensure an optimal harvest. Due to the exceptional weather conditions, the terroir played a significant role in shaping the character of the resulting wines. Some of the influencing factors were soil quality, vineyard-specific weather patterns, the age of vines and the farming methods used
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After the extensive 2008 Napa Cabernet tasting, there were no great qualitative differences, however, as the wines at the tasting all represented some of the best that these top producers have to offer. Although the scores ranged between 86 and 96 points, the differences will even out through longer ageing, as the wines will reach their optimum drinkability within 10–15 years. It was wonderful to note that a great deal of the wines were characterised by a seductively succulent fruitiness, which made many of them enjoyable already – more than half of the wines have scored 90 or more points, despite their young age. Whereas the great 2007 vintage contains very refined and long-lived wines, the 2008 wines charmed tasters with their open and generous style, even though their best days are still far in the future.