Winery - Marcassin
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September 5, 2010
all star team
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Marcassin Gauer Vineyard, Upper Barn Alexander Valley Chardonnay - 1997
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* Expert NoteDecember 19, 2005
Very light nose, faint perfume wafts from the glass, the presence of minerals is felt, and the nose is very elegant for a California wine; sweet and dense in the mouth, much more powerful than its nose would suggest; lots of weight in this wine, also lots of acidity at the core; big finish with citrus fruit and powerful fruit concentration; big wine. (18.5/20)
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* Expert NoteDecember 19, 2005
One of the highly touted very limited production wines from this now famous winery; the wine opens with a shout, propelling very sweet and aromatic elements from the glass that are also perfumed and floral, but there is also a very peppery and spicy blanket over the entire presentation; big and elemental in the mouth with a mix of ripe black fruits, pepper, and strong earthen, clayey, flavors; big dry tannins dominate the edges, leaving some room in the center for the emergence of citrus to lighten the entire presentation; long finish, a nice mix of tannic dryness with sweet ripeness; this is good, but I’m not breathless. (17.5/20)
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Marcassin “Blue Slide Ridge” Sonoma Valley Pinot Noir - 1999
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* Expert NoteDecember 19, 2005
Sweet nose, but loaded with liquid mineral scents, green herbs, touch of slate, sweet vanilla from new oak, subtle earth tones; sweet and very ripe in the mouth; very intense, assertive, rich; powerful sweet oak flavors, but not over-oaked; sweet acidity that gets sharper and stronger the longer the wine is open; the finish is big and citric with pronounced lemon flavors laced with minerals; clearly New World, but beautifully styled. (18.5/20)
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Marcassin “Marcassin Vineyard” Sonoma Valley Chardonnay - 1998
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* Expert NoteDecember 19, 2005
Rich and powerful nose with layers of aromas, complex and deep, sweet fruit, liquid minerals, earth, dried fruits, apricots, balanced acidity, very appealing and aromatic with powerful nuanced scents; rich and fleshy in the mouth, complex, layered, tropical fruits mix with more traditional lemon and citrus flavors; lots of depth; nice balance as there is sufficient acidity to overcome the sweetness of very ripe fruit; good attack, solid in the mid-mouth; the finish gets a bit flat as the ripeness keeps growing in the mouth and threatens to overcome the core citrus fruits, but this is quite a statement for New World Chardonnay. (18.5/20) A second tasting of this wine at the XXVI Per Se dinner where the wine had been opened and double-decanted for two hours prior to drinking showed more complexity and a much higher degree of minerality; stronger citrus fruit presence in the core of the wine with more grip and less fleshiness; I can see this wine evolving over the next few years toward a much more Montrachet kind of style; definitely a step above the California Chardonnays with which it could be compared, and I am tempted to add another half a point to its score.
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Marcassin “Marcassin Vineyard” Sonoma Valley Chardonnay - 1999
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* Expert NoteDecember 19, 2005
Very tightly focused nose with sweet and elegant aromas, complex with a touch of smoke and minerals, honey, floral; sweet and rich on first taste with a “California” ripeness to the grapes, but then that recedes, and the wine exhibits much better balance and complexity; elements of earth and steel mix with nicely focused lemon acidity; long, complex finish with spices and minerals; this is several steps above the pack. (19/20)
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Marcassin Gauer Vineyard, Upper Barn Alexander Valley Chardonnay - 1997
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* Expert NoteDecember 19, 2005
Overly ripe nose with very sweet fruit, oaky, perfumed and aromatic, touch of exotic spices and herbs; sweet and round in the mouth with a big, ripe set of flavors; sweet and spicy; powerful acidity emerges in the middle of the mouth; spicy and lemony at the end; big finish. (19/20)
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Marcassin Gauer Vineyard, Upper Barn Napa Valley - 1997
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