Excellent depth and complexity on the nose and palate with delicious sweet cherry, spice, and floral notes wrapped in a balanced structure with a long finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured. This is a medium red wine with (for Pinot) some surprising tongue-staining intensity. On the nose, I get baking spice, yard mulch, and cranberry. In the mouth, the wine shows ripe strawberry and hard red candies. The finish is very long with a sweet-cherry echo and a lip-smacking end. Overall, this is a pure, vibrant wine, one that is an obvious product of significant effort. This is a quality Pinot, albeit one that is clearly Californian in character. 93 points.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Brick red, earth, baking spice, and cinnamon on the nose, well balanced red fruit of strawberries and red raspberry. Elegant yet complex. Moderate tannins especially on the finish.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Ok, this gets a clear 98 from me. I don't award many of these (and still looking for my first perfect score). If I had another hour with this one, I'm sure it would have been a 99 (which would have also been a first for me). When these are firing on all cylinders, they're impossible to outdo. I can tell you, no one thought about opening a Pinot after this one was opened. Herbal dusty Bing cherries entrancing and hypnotizing you here but plenty of red cherry cola, raspberry cola, and those who know me know that my first 100 score will go to a wine that has cola notes. Finishes with a round maturity, integrating stiff oak tannin, hint of acidity but just a verve all its own. Marcassin is just so dang CLASSIC, and this one is certainly no different. This wine is a time machine of which I'm 100% sure I won't get the "drink by" date correctly, so I'm just going to say, drink now as this one is in a phenomenal spot right now. But if you MUST HOLD...you could probably forget about this wine for 20 years and it would be juuust fine.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
PnP; cork tore in half but got the remaining out. Deep red. Rich nose of black fruits echoed on the palate with boysenberry and plum liqueur like flavors. Long finish. Tbis seems more akin to RRV than Sonoma Coast - lovely wine and no rush to drink..
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Really started to show it's stuff about an hour after opening. Smooth and elegant. Still showing lots of dark fruit, mushrooms and Asian spice. Silky and voluptuous. Drink em if you've got em!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
I would have loved this wine a few years ago. As my tastes have moved towards Burgundy, this is a bit much for me these days. Hot on the finish, the 14.2% alcohol comes through for sure. Very rich, ripe and silky. Quite tasty and I can see how a lot of people would love this. Just not my thing these days, but still fun to drink and clearly a very well made wine. There are SO many other wines I would choose though at this price point.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Stunning, like Elizabeth Taylor in A Place in the Sun. I'm generally not partial to New World Pinot Noir, but this bottle, consumed over two hours at a restaurant, could make me a believer in the category. The best California Pinot I've ever had. Fuller-bodied than even the richest Burgs I have had, but everything in balance. The fruit was incredible, but layered, complex and structured, about as far as can be imagined from the typical, monolithic wine that it seems impossible to believe is produced from the same grape as Red Burgundy. It just kept getting better as the minutes and hours passed. Though 12 years old, this appears to have at least 5, maybe 10 years, of glorious life ahead.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for an hour and a half. Got better with more exposure to Oxygen. Initially closed and at the ~2 hour mark it blossomed. Totally balanced and delicious. Wow wine. Can't wait to get into the next bottle!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Full bodied, candied fruit, alcohol in check, not too exotic like the 2012, which I preferred. This was a small splash to taste so I didn’t meditate on it long, but for the texture I didn’t find it over the top.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Does it get better? All dark cherry fruit, earth is there but it’s subtle. Still has some mushroom, tobacco, and chocolate notes. Touch of plum and raspberry, blood orange. Rose and floral nose. So restrained. So elegant. Just perfect. Now-2030+?
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
The Burgundian end of Cali pinot, but those gorgeous strawberry and raspberry notes are still there with more fruit forward notes than actual Burg of course. Iron fist, velvet glove. Just the best producer of domestic Pinot out there. Period.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drinking beautifully! Wonderful depth and complexity on the nose and palate with delicious sweet cherry, asian spice, and floral notes. All wrapped in a balanced structure with an enduring finish. Classic Marcassin!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
2009. Opulent nose of red and blue berries. Some stemmy character as well. Full body , ripe red fruit with noticeable tannins. Long finish. Great wine, but feels young.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Our very first Marcassin. Opened and poured. Quite refined and elegant....sophisticated nose, showing some secondaries. Braised tost, some sagey/licorice notes. Not too flabby, showing the right weight and density. Polished, full bodied with depth.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank with grilled prime filet. Not a fruit bomb but still very complex. Great balance of fruits , minerals, earth and acidity. Not your typical concentrated, weighty, California Pinot. This has subtlety and finesse.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Kiawah Trip 2019; 8/24/2019-9/4/2019 (Kiawah Island): Tasted Blind - Closer to the first sample (Blue Slide). Palate wise keeps improving. Great depth, more mouth filling fruit and complexity. Finish lingers the longest. Really impressed, my personal favorite of the bunch. Less showy on the nose than #2 (Three Sisters), but still fantastic.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Beautiful wine. Really intense nose but not overpowering in the mouth. Balanced. Delicious. Will keep drinking what I have but imagine it has more life ahead.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Doubled decanted. Medium red. Lovely nose of red fruits, cherry, plum, some spice and perhaps some blood orange. On the palate this is rich and deep flavored almost sweet but not quite; quite undeveloped for age 9. Intriguing wine - expected more sophistication from it. Will see how it evolves in its second decade.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Fourth time i taste the 2009 - compared to last time two years or so ago, it seemed much better again. This is tremendous Pinot Noir -clearly Sonoma and Californian in style but simply world class. In fact it was not at all as heavy as I remember - funny that. Wish I had one or two more. Alas it was my last.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured. This is a ruby-red wine with some modest mouth-staining capacity. On the nose, I get crisp red fruit, smoke, a mulch primarily comprised of leaves, and black cherry. In the mouth, this is layered and expansive – it is a richer version of Pinot with some wonderful textures throughout. The finish doubles back to the sweet layer in the mouth; I repeatedly get aspects of gingerbread man cookies on the finish. Overall, this is a very pleasurable wine – it is easy to appreciate and obviously well made. That said, I am not sure I would ID this as Pinot in a blind tasting; there are elements that are like a 100% old-vine Grenache. But who cares; this wine is delicious, so stop thinking about it and just enjoy. 94 points.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pre-thanksgiving wine generously shared by EG in Dallas. Consumed as I chased my 4 yo and 20 month old around, so no notes other than it was fantastic.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I have had mixed experiences with Marcassin Pinot Noir in the past, but this particular bottle and vintage was fantastic. Explosive red fruits on the nose with a lovely, expressive bouquet with complexities of tea, minerals and flowers. Excellent grace on the palate with luscious fruit. It was a real crowd pleaser. Great example of the heights that California Pinot Noir can reach. This has tons of life left, and it's not in danger of losing any steam, but it is in a great place right now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A nice Pinot to be sure, but I don't get all these near triple digit scores. Mind you I did not pay for this bottle (Thanks SD-Wineaux) and if I did, perhaps I'd think otherwise.
Full bodied Pinot with an exotic nose of dried fruit and spices. Complex in the body as well. But, I can think of quite a few other Sonoma Pinots with near the quality for a lot fewer dollars.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Concentrated dried red fruits, and baking spice on the nose, concentrated color and gets better after an hour of being open. A nice pinot with some complexity. In a good place at the moment.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very dark and extracted color; on the nose intense and tannic; has a certain severity to it. On the palate it is round and pleasant; not very open. After a couple of hours it turns flat and almost monochromatic.. Interesting, but not my style of Pinot Noir.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This falls into the crowd pleaser catagory but you won't want many around when you open it! Smooth mouthfeel, slick. Sweet strawberry and cherry liqueur flavors. Definitely has that delicious factor.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Marcassin vs Aubert: Beautiful and refined raspberry fruit with a solid balance. It is airy and light with a long spicy aftertaste and a slightly bitter ending. Lovely wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
2017 New Year's Day Tasting (Marietta, GA): Dark maroon; great nose, tart fruit, red and dark, some sweetness but good restraint, smoke, no mineral but noble; very good on the palate, sweet tannin, pure silk; not as interesting as red Burgundy but delicious.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This tastes really young. Intense, complex, layered, long and very light on its feet. This may be one of those Marcassin's (like 2002) that effortlessly keeps developing and improving. Have 3 more. Will bury them until 2020.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Mostly domestic wine dinner (Eddie V's - Tysons Corner): Incredibly youthful nose displaying perfectly ripe black fruit, blackberry, cherry, lavender candy, noticeable stem, raw button mushroom and tree bark. Excellent concentration, youthful black fruit driven palate impression, good mineral presence and long clean finish. Very nice youthful showing. If you are a fan of Marcassin PN, your rating would be at least a couple points higher.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for 1 hour. This needed more time, closed down a bit but slowly awakened. Aromas of maple, raspberry, forest floor and rhubarb. On the palate, surprised how Burgundian this is with flavors of cherry, mushroom, clove, blueberry and herb. Lingers of the palate like crazy. Every sip the wine evolved. Finish close to 50 seconds. Never had the 09 but expected more forward fruit but this was wonderfully balanced and elegant.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Amazing per usual, starting to come into its own. Started off a little reticent, but with an hour (and food) found its stride. Clearly California in fruit profile, but still has a lot of mushroom and forest floor notes that make it more Burgundian. Slightly dark cherry and strawberry fruit profile, oak is there but not intrusive. No rush to drink. As we discovered, pair with anything involving truffles!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Easily identifiable California Sonoma Coast nose that was huge. This is a big, flavor packed Pinot. Took this to Bin 54 in Chapel Hill and drank over three hours with filet and truffled scalloped potatoes. Absolutely brilliant with the truffle flavors, it did hold up better than the Volnay although both were good. I thought that the complex fruit flavors were dominant, but there were some subtle earth, baking spice and mineral notes that added to the complexity. This is the first bottle that I have had from this vintage.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Beautiful Burgundy color with an astounding bouquet and flavor mixing raspberries, strawberries, and cherries with a bit of toastiness at the end. Exceptional balance with great depth and nuance and a very long finish. This is great Pinot Noir, regardless of place or year. No match across the Atlantic.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
BYO US Pinot and Chardonnay (Kong Hans): Dense and flabby dark plum fruit. Some dirt and coffee and overall a bit off balance. This bottle should clearly have been decanted which was a big mistake by the restaurant serving this blind.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is a spectacular Pinot. PnP with food from Pizzeria Mozza. Big fruit dominated by cherry and berry notes. Great backbone. Balanced perfectly. Finish of well over 45 seconds. Just fantastic.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Clean ripe fruit. Sweetness on the palate, currently lacking much depth. Wood surprisingly well hidden or integrated, depending upon how one chooses to view it
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very good but still young. Lots of tannins still present even 2-3 hours after decant . Fruit is there but somewhat overshadowed by the tannins. It just needs more time in the bottle.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very light and fresh with a 2 hour decant. Oak was integrating nicely but this has some years ahead of it to develop but not disappointing at all to drink now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
PnP. Perfect cork. Medium red. Rather Burgundian nose of dark restrained fruits and an almost licorice like scent. On the palate quite full and a little angular on the finish which seems more tannin than alcohol. This has very good depth but seems to need more time to unfurl. Not ready to drink in my opinion though very good. Not sure about the QPR on this unless it dramatically improves. May be better tomorrow. This smoothed out and developed more interest and complexity over the next few days - probably needs 5 years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Fairly big nose with smoke and even a note of sausage? The palate is polished and mouth coating. Notes of fresh plum and some herbs. Noticeable tannins. Awesome wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Cooking spices, milk chocolate with cocoa, strawberry, some earthy components with tight tannins but not all that big. Good texture and length, it's very good but not worth the price it's currently going for. Past years have been better.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Hunan and the Gang... (Fresno, Ca.): Smooth and full bodied…liqueured berry fruit, smoked cherry, pretty florals and spices…cream cheese raspberry pie….forest.….has a lovely feel in the mouth….good length and liveliness. Always great.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Just not ready yet...needs to be twirled for 15 minutes...best drank in 2020. The beginning of the bottle was over the top...the lSt portions were a hint at how amazing this wine will become. Only $395 @ Marea in NYC...the 2010 was $450.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for 2.5 hrs before returning to bottle for dinner. Upon initial whiffs the nose was beautiful with notes of forest floor, wild mushrooms, and black cherry. Sampled a little .5oz upon opening and was blown away by the layers and a finish that seemed to last close to a minute. Before rebottling (about 2 hrs later) the fruit was jumping from the glass. Not a speck of heat was present. As the earthy dishes we selected were paired with the wine the fruit purity really shined. I'm going to try and hold another bottle for at least 5 yrs but I doubt I will succeed.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Holy ish. By far the best new world Pinot I've ever tried. Perfect balance of new world fruit and old world earth. Finish lasts a full minute in the mouth after going down. Perfect way to celebrate my birthday. Glad there's more where that came from.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for one hour. Utterly spectacular - easily the best pinot noir I've ever had, with the longest, purest finish. Not sure how this could get any better, so will likely drink my remaining bottle within the next 3 years.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Best bottle so far, this is just getting better. Very good balance, creamy, good complexity, some bacon notes which makes me think some other grapes might be present, but it's damn good now. It was popped and poured, but got better at the 2 hour mark in a decanter.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
2014 New York Wine Experience Trip; 10/14/2014-10/21/2014 (New York City, NY): This medium ruby, medium-bodied Pinot has an intense nose of Bing cherries, rose petals, lavender, cinnamon and Asian spices. Very fresh and with medium-weight, silky tannins, it delivers flavors similar to the aromas. The wine's alcohol lurks silently and the middle palate is solid. Finishing long and supple, this is a wine with virtually no rough edges. Harmonious and balanced, it should be at its best over the next 7-10 years. Drink now-2024.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
It was everything and more that I expected. 3 hour decant then brought to Hatfields restaurant for my birthday.
Dark & inky with legs that melted down the glass. On the nose, you definitely got a burst of alcohol at first, dark berries, cherries and cassis. Taste of dark berries, cola, a hint of burnt wood and dark chocolate on the finish. Slightly tannic but a smooth finish that lasted a good 45 seconds. This bottle is clearly not at its sweet spot yet, but a treat nonetheless. I think I will wait several more years before opening the next bottle
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dan's Birthday (Keens Steakhouse): Lots and lots of very sweet, candied red cherries, like drinking a jolly rancher. Quite dense and concentrated, with medium weight, extremely slick extract. Not much complexity -- the attraction here is the sweet fruit and the texture. This is a well-made wine in its idiom -- there's enough acidity so that it's in balance (whatever that means), and the alcohol is under control and doesn't stick out, so it's not undrinkable lighter fluid. Even though this is a little too candied and sweet for me, I can drink this, and though I don't much care for this candied style of Pinot Noir, I can see the appeal for fans of the style.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Had this as a special dinner with my family. it was amazing. It stood up to prime rib. it was smooth and thick. very well balanced low acid loved this a lot.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Had this at Alex's home over hotpot with his friends. The wine was popped and aired for an hour before consumption. It is dark, inky purple in color with a garnet rim and very long, thin, fine legs that just cling onto the side of the glass. On the nose, the alcohol is quite apparent. There are prominent notes of potpourri, cherries, kirsch, Earl Grey, tobacco and mint. Great extraction from the pinot, resulting in incredible concentration and the bouquet just lept out from the glass. On the palate, the wine just cascades seamlessly down the throat with much finesse. Great structure and tannins, although apparent, were velvety and well integrated into the juice. The wine was even more concentrated on the palate. Notes of cassis, espresso, chocolates, straw, and miso came to the fore, supported by a backdrop of tingling sweet, jammy taste of cherries. Finish was very long (close to 40 seconds) and yet the wine was not cloying. Effortless. Unabashed. Voluptuous. Graceful. Incredible effort.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was the final wine of the night, the mighty Marcassin. It is as good as they say, smooth and elegant. The only problem was all of the flak I got for drinking it after I told everyone what it sells for. Wine can be a tremendous investment. You just can't realize the profit if you drink the asset.
Initially very closed aromatically. But oh my, it really opened up! Notes of minerals and blue fruit first, then sweet licorice, toast, spices - cardamom, and a chalky element. The palate was also holding back at first. But the palate broadened significantly with time in the glass - lots of fruit - blue and red - some elegant silky pinot tannins and acidity to balance all the components. Still too Young, but a very nice wine. 94+
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine is breathtaking, it's like a symphony... Can't wait to see what this beautiful beast turns into. This wine is like a beautiful curvy woman, I can't get enough.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
The bottle was enjoyed at R'Evolution in the French Quarter. This is one of the great pinot noir's produced in the US. Super fragrant with raspberry, strawberry with the depth of darker fruit and more weight than most pinot noir from France. I had a cornish game hen stuffed with rice and sausage gumbo. Unbelievable. This wine will be great for many, many years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for 3 hours before consuming. It seems the '09 is more new world than some previous Marcassin vintages. Silky texture, good overall mouthfeel, medium to dark fruit, strawberry, rhubarb, some vanilla and cream, some forest floor like characteristics with some wood. It's quite good, but probably needs 3-4 years to get into a better drinking window. Has the typical Marcassin Cola flavor.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was decanted for probably 8 hours, no formal note. Very nice overall texture and flavor, but I'm thinking it was decanted for too longer. I guessed blind it was Marcassin with that cola flavor, but I don't think the '09 is built for the long hall but is immensely enjoyable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pop and pour at Bistro Jeanty. Consumed over lunch and later in the evening. This wine has shifted between several different profiles. At first very compact and tight but with umami flavors on the nose and palate. Soy sauce, mushroom, raspberry compote. After 6+ hours of air it is open and radiant with sweet sappy baked red fruits. This is built for a long life and pleasure over many years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine is very good, lighter style, well structured Pinot. It has a nice femininity and the wine delicately coats the glass. This wine has a great nose and the wine seems to be well structured but the fruit is very restrained. Personally I hope a little more fruit will show in the future but after 2 days of testing this wine never changed. The future may however bring some very nice secondary notes into play.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Roast-beef oriented from nose to finish. It's enjoyable enough, but barely has any glycerin in the mouth and seems thin on the finish. Not impressed at all and a bad QPR.
Had one more glass for the second day and still was left with the same impressions. At this price and for this vintage this PN should make angels weep. I've had better from third-rate producers in bad vintages. Sorry Helen and John. Brutal honesty, I know.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
I do not understand the negative remarks about this wine, especially the comments from the likes of Meadows. This was my first ever Marcassin pinot noir, sampled just to see what the hype was about. As a major league pinot skeptic, I was prepared to find the wine overhyped, overblown, and not worth the money. I was dead wrong on all three counts. With a full daytime decant (which is the norm for me on blockbuster reds and whites) this pinot was surprising in every way. A stunning concentration of fruit on the nose was combined with a huge wave of perfume coming out of the glass. I will add that a mid-sized Riedel "Overture" red glass was used. I tried a few different glasses and discovered that the taller glass with greater air space over the liquid brought out the most perfume; I would not use a balloon-shaped glass of any kind for this wine. That's food for thought and is consistent with my experiments on spirits glassware as well. Going back to the wine, the nose showed an array of florals including beautiful rose notes and sweet spiciness. The alcohol level was totally unremarkable, i.e. I didn't note the alcohol at all. I wouldn't say that it was sweet per se, but the lusciousness of the fruit gave it a "sweet" flavor appropriate to the really beautiful and complex palate of red fruits. Also, I would not call the wine "thin", but it did have a surprisingly light, finessed mouth feel, while not lacking concentration of flavor. This is something that I specifically appreciate about really well made wines, i.e. with a proper decant they become satisfyingly complex and intense but still approachable and elegant in the mouth. In sum, I was shocked to come to the conclusion that the wine was worth the money. I will admit quite freely that this tastes nothing like a French Burgundy or, say, PacNorthwest pinot. However, I don't consider this a negative at all. These are clearly very well farmed grapes and, at least in the bottle I drank, very well handled as far as the final product is concerned. I look forward to trying more and do hope that I won't end up disappointed like the others here.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
The 2009 is near perfection. It is more than just profound, there is a great intensity/opulence/richness/finesse that is so delicate (as in fine crystal) and finessed that not all wine drinkers would pick up on them. Complete purity, no muddled notes, green or soiled flavors that I personally find in the French Burgundies. Structure from nose to finish is seamless and has a complete interwoven structure that is muli-layered and dimensional. Nose has floral notes of dried roses and other floral tones that range from a touch of Violet to Mignonette. There are ripe blue, black and dark red fruit notes that move from crushed black sweet cherries, to touches of plum, maybe a slight boysenberry and black raspberry, mixed along the nose is spice of a touch of cinnamon, doses of camphor/nutmeg, mild smoke and a touch of brown sugar on the end. Quite hedonistic! Low, mild and high palate is opulent, mouth coating, but delicate dancing on the mouth feel with more notes of minerality/ crushed rocks (also present in nose) tactile sweetness along with massive, but delicate doses of fruit that exhibit in the nose. Has proper tannin structure and acidity that supports underneath as a foundation, but never strays to be heavy handed. Transitions to finish is sweet fruit, wood, smoke and almost a 2 & 1/2 minute finish with secondary waves of flavor coming through.. A rare treat!!!!! The wine should age well for the next 25 years. Only reason I don’t give 100 is the room for improvement with age. ________________________________________
Granted I am not the drinking expert or huge fan of Pinot Noir or Red Burgundies, however after 10 hours of decanting and I will say this just as a general practice that not allowing a classic (much less expensive wine) of any sort not to decant and to pop and drink or try on a short decant is not giving respect to the wine or the winemaker. I tasted small amount along the 10 hours and the differences peaked in the evening and this is one major and profound wine. However, if I just popped and drank or let decant for an hour, I would have missed on the nuances, layers and complexity.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Right off the truck this had a bunch of undissolved sulfur and was spritzy. Shook it three times and it popped three times. A mess in the glass. Day two there was nothing fruit wise and I thought it was shot. Day three finally shows the Marcassin I know and love. Great nose of coffee grounds cinnamon and plums. The palate is oh so smooth and balanced. That's right, balanced. Hints of pomegranate cherries and a touch of coffee. Great acid on this makes it clean and mouth watering. I really like these wines.
3/16/2024 - fcxj wrote: 90 Points
Wore age nicely.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/7/2024 - 831900_ Likes this wine: 94 Points
Nicely developed. Scent of soil and meadow, some distant cherry, and dry spices. Lightweight mouthfeel. Silky. Medium length lifted finish.
Two tasters said it came across as a nicely aged old school Bordeaux but lighter in style.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/27/2024 - pjhr Likes this wine: 95 Points
Excellent depth and complexity on the nose and palate with delicious sweet cherry, spice, and floral notes wrapped in a balanced structure with a long finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/3/2023 - englishman's claret wrote:
I didn't take a detailed note, but it was neither distinguished nor offensive.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/11/2023 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine: 93 Points
Popped and poured. This is a medium red wine with (for Pinot) some surprising tongue-staining intensity. On the nose, I get baking spice, yard mulch, and cranberry. In the mouth, the wine shows ripe strawberry and hard red candies. The finish is very long with a sweet-cherry echo and a lip-smacking end. Overall, this is a pure, vibrant wine, one that is an obvious product of significant effort. This is a quality Pinot, albeit one that is clearly Californian in character. 93 points.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/24/2023 - Bakka Likes this wine: 94 Points
Notes consistent with Rustyrudy a year ago. This wine will easily age a decade or two more.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/1/2022 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Brick red, earth, baking spice, and cinnamon on the nose, well balanced red fruit of strawberries and red raspberry. Elegant yet complex. Moderate tannins especially on the finish.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/1/2022 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 99 Points
Consistent notes. All dark cherry and black raspberry. Touch of earth, plum, tobacco, chocolate. Just the bees knees.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/14/2022 - mflesh wrote: 98 Points
Ok, this gets a clear 98 from me. I don't award many of these (and still looking for my first perfect score). If I had another hour with this one, I'm sure it would have been a 99 (which would have also been a first for me). When these are firing on all cylinders, they're impossible to outdo. I can tell you, no one thought about opening a Pinot after this one was opened. Herbal dusty Bing cherries entrancing and hypnotizing you here but plenty of red cherry cola, raspberry cola, and those who know me know that my first 100 score will go to a wine that has cola notes. Finishes with a round maturity, integrating stiff oak tannin, hint of acidity but just a verve all its own. Marcassin is just so dang CLASSIC, and this one is certainly no different. This wine is a time machine of which I'm 100% sure I won't get the "drink by" date correctly, so I'm just going to say, drink now as this one is in a phenomenal spot right now. But if you MUST HOLD...you could probably forget about this wine for 20 years and it would be juuust fine.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/25/2021 - rosenst1 wrote: 94 Points
PnP; cork tore in half but got the remaining out. Deep red. Rich nose of black fruits echoed on the palate with boysenberry and plum liqueur like flavors. Long finish. Tbis seems more akin to RRV than Sonoma Coast - lovely wine and no rush to drink..
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/30/2021 - madmagnum Likes this wine: 98 Points
Really started to show it's stuff about an hour after opening. Smooth and elegant. Still showing lots of dark fruit, mushrooms and Asian spice. Silky and voluptuous. Drink em if you've got em!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/12/2021 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 95 Points
I would have loved this wine a few years ago. As my tastes have moved towards Burgundy, this is a bit much for me these days. Hot on the finish, the 14.2% alcohol comes through for sure. Very rich, ripe and silky. Quite tasty and I can see how a lot of people would love this. Just not my thing these days, but still fun to drink and clearly a very well made wine. There are SO many other wines I would choose though at this price point.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/16/2021 - Valaprop Likes this wine: 97 Points
Stunning, like Elizabeth Taylor in A Place in the Sun. I'm generally not partial to New World Pinot Noir, but this bottle, consumed over two hours at a restaurant, could make me a believer in the category. The best California Pinot I've ever had. Fuller-bodied than even the richest Burgs I have had, but everything in balance. The fruit was incredible, but layered, complex and structured, about as far as can be imagined from the typical, monolithic wine that it seems impossible to believe is produced from the same grape as Red Burgundy. It just kept getting better as the minutes and hours passed. Though 12 years old, this appears to have at least 5, maybe 10 years, of glorious life ahead.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/24/2021 - Amerique wrote: 93 Points
Rich dark strawberry fruit with earthy tones, excellent structure, a little to dense, needed more freshness and acidity
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/25/2021 - DWStyle Likes this wine: 97 Points
Decanted for an hour and a half. Got better with more exposure to Oxygen. Initially closed and at the ~2 hour mark it blossomed.
Totally balanced and delicious. Wow wine. Can't wait to get into the next bottle!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/25/2021 - jviz wrote:
Full bodied, candied fruit, alcohol in check, not too exotic like the 2012, which I preferred. This was a small splash to taste so I didn’t meditate on it long, but for the texture I didn’t find it over the top.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/31/2021 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 98 Points
Dark for Pinot, balanced, raspberry and cherry fruit , tart, subtle mushroom and earth with a super fruit dominated finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/31/2021 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 100 Points
Does it get better? All dark cherry fruit, earth is there but it’s subtle. Still has some mushroom, tobacco, and chocolate notes. Touch of plum and raspberry, blood orange. Rose and floral nose. So restrained. So elegant. Just perfect. Now-2030+?
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/30/2021 - PinoyNoir Likes this wine: 99 Points
Better than the previous vintages of Marcassin pinot I've had. Pure seductive fruit, drinking beautifully right now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/24/2020 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 97 Points
The Burgundian end of Cali pinot, but those gorgeous strawberry and raspberry notes are still there with more fruit forward notes than actual Burg of course. Iron fist, velvet glove. Just the best producer of domestic Pinot out there. Period.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/23/2020 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 95 Points
Light, elegant, ready,balanced, with enough fruit to establish itself as Californian. Very well done. Lovely nose.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/17/2020 - pjhr Likes this wine: 97 Points
Drinking beautifully! Wonderful depth and complexity on the nose and palate with delicious sweet cherry, asian spice, and floral notes. All wrapped in a balanced structure with an enduring finish. Classic Marcassin!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/16/2020 - Old Joe Likes this wine: 95 Points
OUTSTANDING. There is nothing more to add to previous comments
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/9/2020 - bigneil Likes this wine: 95 Points
Still drinking wonderfully. Nose has some more smoke notes to go with cherry fruit. Tannin is smooth and finish long. Really nice
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/16/2020 - jfpwine Likes this wine: 93 Points
2009. Opulent nose of red and blue berries. Some stemmy character as well. Full body , ripe red fruit with noticeable tannins. Long finish. Great wine, but feels young.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/28/2019 - Senso-beak wrote: 93 Points
Our very first Marcassin. Opened and poured. Quite refined and elegant....sophisticated nose, showing some secondaries. Braised tost, some sagey/licorice notes. Not too flabby, showing the right weight and density. Polished, full bodied with depth.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/8/2019 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 98 Points
Drank with grilled prime filet. Not a fruit bomb but still very complex. Great balance of fruits , minerals, earth and acidity. Not your typical concentrated, weighty, California Pinot. This has subtlety and finesse.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/4/2019 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Kiawah Trip 2019; 8/24/2019-9/4/2019 (Kiawah Island): Tasted Blind - Closer to the first sample (Blue Slide). Palate wise keeps improving. Great depth, more mouth filling fruit and complexity. Finish lingers the longest. Really impressed, my personal favorite of the bunch. Less showy on the nose than #2 (Three Sisters), but still fantastic.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/29/2019 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 97 Points
Drank at the beach with family and food. The consensus top Pinot. Great depth and balance
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/5/2019 - bigneil Likes this wine: 96 Points
Beautiful wine. Really intense nose but not overpowering in the mouth. Balanced. Delicious. Will keep drinking what I have but imagine it has more life ahead.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/27/2019 - YQUEM90 wrote: 99 Points
Lars #1116
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/16/2019 - leadpencil wrote: 95 Points
Deep ruby. Medium bodied. Raspberry, soil, pine. Perfect balance
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/5/2019 - Screameagle Likes this wine: 94 Points
Just a beautiful pinot that is so good it must be in it's prime. Loved it especially when compared to a recent 2012
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/30/2018 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 95 Points
Translucent, ruby red. Sweet cherry with black tea and baking spice notes. This is dangerously drinkable, truly sublime stuff.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2018 - rosenst1 wrote: 92 Points
Doubled decanted. Medium red. Lovely nose of red fruits, cherry, plum, some spice and perhaps some blood orange. On the palate this is rich and deep flavored almost sweet but not quite; quite undeveloped for age 9. Intriguing wine - expected more sophistication from it. Will see how it evolves in its second decade.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/16/2018 - Lord Rodney wrote: 95 Points
Fourth time i taste the 2009 - compared to last time two years or so ago, it seemed much better again. This is tremendous Pinot Noir -clearly Sonoma and Californian in style but simply world class. In fact it was not at all as heavy as I remember - funny that. Wish I had one or two more. Alas it was my last.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/15/2018 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine: 94 Points
Popped and poured. This is a ruby-red wine with some modest mouth-staining capacity. On the nose, I get crisp red fruit, smoke, a mulch primarily comprised of leaves, and black cherry. In the mouth, this is layered and expansive – it is a richer version of Pinot with some wonderful textures throughout. The finish doubles back to the sweet layer in the mouth; I repeatedly get aspects of gingerbread man cookies on the finish. Overall, this is a very pleasurable wine – it is easy to appreciate and obviously well made. That said, I am not sure I would ID this as Pinot in a blind tasting; there are elements that are like a 100% old-vine Grenache. But who cares; this wine is delicious, so stop thinking about it and just enjoy. 94 points.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/23/2018 - esw423 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Pre-thanksgiving wine generously shared by EG in Dallas. Consumed as I chased my 4 yo and 20 month old around, so no notes other than it was fantastic.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/3/2018 - pjhr Likes this wine: 96 Points
Drinking and maturing beautifully with similar tasting notes to a year ago.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/28/2018 - InTheMunee Likes this wine: 97 Points
I have had mixed experiences with Marcassin Pinot Noir in the past, but this particular bottle and vintage was fantastic. Explosive red fruits on the nose with a lovely, expressive bouquet with complexities of tea, minerals and flowers. Excellent grace on the palate with luscious fruit. It was a real crowd pleaser. Great example of the heights that California Pinot Noir can reach. This has tons of life left, and it's not in danger of losing any steam, but it is in a great place right now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/26/2018 - Racer117 wrote: 91 Points
A nice Pinot to be sure, but I don't get all these near triple digit scores. Mind you I did not pay for this bottle (Thanks SD-Wineaux) and if I did, perhaps I'd think otherwise.
Full bodied Pinot with an exotic nose of dried fruit and spices. Complex in the body as well. But, I can think of quite a few other Sonoma Pinots with near the quality for a lot fewer dollars.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/17/2018 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 95 Points
Ruby red. Sweet black cherry and raspberry fruit. Ripe, but well balanced. A nice note of forest floor on the finish. Terrific California PN.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/30/2017 - ListenToMeWine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Concentrated dried red fruits, and baking spice on the nose, concentrated color and gets better after an hour of being open. A nice pinot with some complexity. In a good place at the moment.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/29/2017 - Bandreas wrote:
Very dark and extracted color; on the nose intense and tannic; has a certain severity to it.
On the palate it is round and pleasant; not very open. After a couple of hours it turns flat and almost monochromatic..
Interesting, but not my style of Pinot Noir.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/29/2017 - nickeled Likes this wine: 98 Points
Marcassin opening w a delicate oak, rounded fruit w a halo on the palate, finishing w a gentle touch
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/4/2017 - pjhr Likes this wine: 96 Points
Just a lovely new world pinot! Still young, but opens up beautifully with layers of delicious fruit, floral notes and hints of cedar.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/22/2017 - brigcampbell wrote:
This falls into the crowd pleaser catagory but you won't want many around when you open it! Smooth mouthfeel, slick. Sweet strawberry and cherry liqueur flavors. Definitely has that delicious factor.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/8/2017 - canan wrote: 94 Points
Marcassin vs Aubert: Beautiful and refined raspberry fruit with a solid balance. It is airy and light with a long spicy aftertaste and a slightly bitter ending.
Lovely wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/10/2017 - effrom Likes this wine: 95 Points
slightly disappointed... it is excellent, but not outstanding!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/2/2017 - Cali Fan Likes this wine: 94 Points
Youthful, exuberant with notes of tart cherry. Probably still too young but very tough to wait.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/1/2017 - Rezy13 Likes this wine: 93 Points
2017 New Year's Day Tasting (Marietta, GA): Dark maroon; great nose, tart fruit, red and dark, some sweetness but good restraint, smoke, no mineral but noble; very good on the palate, sweet tannin, pure silk; not as interesting as red Burgundy but delicious.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/22/2016 - Lord Rodney wrote: 92 Points
Hefty style alright - almost non-Pinot, but good with grilled bird
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/18/2016 - MV2007 Likes this wine: 96 Points
This tastes really young. Intense, complex, layered, long and very light on its feet. This may be one of those Marcassin's (like 2002) that effortlessly keeps developing and improving. Have 3 more. Will bury them until 2020.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/14/2016 - Pquaker wrote: 91 Points
Very nice aroma, Palish color. Opened beautifully in decanter after 30 mins. Had duck cassoulet and lamb bolognese in a 50 degree day. Perfect!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/8/2016 - dcwino wrote: 95 Points
Mostly domestic wine dinner (Eddie V's - Tysons Corner): Incredibly youthful nose displaying perfectly ripe black fruit, blackberry, cherry, lavender candy, noticeable stem, raw button mushroom and tree bark. Excellent concentration, youthful black fruit driven palate impression, good mineral presence and long clean finish. Very nice youthful showing. If you are a fan of Marcassin PN, your rating would be at least a couple points higher.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/3/2016 - slywka7 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Decanted for 1 hour. This needed more time, closed down a bit but slowly awakened. Aromas of maple, raspberry, forest floor and rhubarb. On the palate, surprised how Burgundian this is with flavors of cherry, mushroom, clove, blueberry and herb. Lingers of the palate like crazy. Every sip the wine evolved. Finish close to 50 seconds. Never had the 09 but expected more forward fruit but this was wonderfully balanced and elegant.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/17/2016 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Amazing per usual, starting to come into its own. Started off a little reticent, but with an hour (and food) found its stride. Clearly California in fruit profile, but still has a lot of mushroom and forest floor notes that make it more Burgundian. Slightly dark cherry and strawberry fruit profile, oak is there but not intrusive. No rush to drink. As we discovered, pair with anything involving truffles!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/14/2016 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 98 Points
Easily identifiable California Sonoma Coast nose that was huge. This is a big, flavor packed Pinot. Took this to Bin 54 in Chapel Hill and drank over three hours with filet and truffled scalloped potatoes. Absolutely brilliant with the truffle flavors, it did hold up better than the Volnay although both were good. I thought that the complex fruit flavors were dominant, but there were some subtle earth, baking spice and mineral notes that added to the complexity. This is the first bottle that I have had from this vintage.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/7/2016 - tcosgriff Likes this wine: 98 Points
Beautiful Burgundy color with an astounding bouquet and flavor mixing raspberries, strawberries, and cherries with a bit of toastiness at the end. Exceptional balance with great depth and nuance and a very long finish. This is great Pinot Noir, regardless of place or year. No match across the Atlantic.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/2/2016 - canan wrote: 93 Points
BYO US Pinot and Chardonnay (Kong Hans): Dense and flabby dark plum fruit. Some dirt and coffee and overall a bit off balance.
This bottle should clearly have been decanted which was a big mistake by the restaurant serving this blind.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/28/2016 - Fid Likes this wine: 97 Points
This is a spectacular Pinot. PnP with food from Pizzeria Mozza. Big fruit dominated by cherry and berry notes. Great backbone. Balanced perfectly. Finish of well over 45 seconds. Just fantastic.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/12/2016 - tinybubbles wrote:
Clean ripe fruit. Sweetness on the palate, currently lacking much depth. Wood surprisingly well hidden or integrated, depending upon how one chooses to view it
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/15/2016 - VinoDiver Likes this wine: 95 Points
Consistent with my last tasting but I felt the fruit had evolved a bit more and was showing well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/20/2015 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good color, good nose, lacking finish, over priced wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/26/2015 - bobwire Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very good but still young. Lots of tannins still present even 2-3 hours after decant . Fruit is there but somewhat overshadowed by the tannins. It just needs more time in the bottle.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/12/2015 - Griffeyfan04 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Very light and fresh with a 2 hour decant. Oak was integrating nicely but this has some years ahead of it to develop but not disappointing at all to drink now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/7/2015 - rosenst1 wrote: 91 Points
PnP. Perfect cork. Medium red. Rather Burgundian nose of dark restrained fruits and an almost licorice like scent. On the palate quite full and a little angular on the finish which seems more tannin than alcohol. This has very good depth but seems to need more time to unfurl. Not ready to drink in my opinion though very good. Not sure about the QPR on this unless it dramatically improves. May be better tomorrow.
This smoothed out and developed more interest and complexity over the next few days - probably needs 5 years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/17/2015 - Lord Rodney wrote: 95 Points
same as last bottle! Great!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/17/2015 - S R U D I N Likes this wine: 97 Points
Truly stunning wine. I think this is the BEST Pinot the United States has to offer...
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/4/2015 - Uglypinga Likes this wine:
Fairly big nose with smoke and even a note of sausage? The palate is polished and mouth coating. Notes of fresh plum and some herbs. Noticeable tannins. Awesome wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/24/2015 - Hebrew Hammer wrote: 96 Points
- Brick color.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/24/2015 - pakabear Likes this wine: 93 Points
Cooking spices, milk chocolate with cocoa, strawberry, some earthy components with tight tannins but not all that big. Good texture and length, it's very good but not worth the price it's currently going for. Past years have been better.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/16/2015 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine: 93 Points
Hunan and the Gang... (Fresno, Ca.): Smooth and full bodied…liqueured berry fruit, smoked cherry, pretty florals and spices…cream cheese raspberry pie….forest.….has a lovely feel in the mouth….good length and liveliness. Always great.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/4/2015 - ECGreen wrote: 94 Points
Just not ready yet...needs to be twirled for 15 minutes...best drank in 2020. The beginning of the bottle was over the top...the lSt portions were a hint at how amazing this wine will become. Only $395 @ Marea in NYC...the 2010 was $450.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/1/2015 - Vinophiliac559 wrote: 92 Points
92+ pts; Not so great QpR for me, very good pinot, I imagine will be even better in years to come for those with patience.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/16/2015 - pauljr1121 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Decanted for 2.5 hrs before returning to bottle for dinner. Upon initial whiffs the nose was beautiful with notes of forest floor, wild mushrooms, and black cherry. Sampled a little .5oz upon opening and was blown away by the layers and a finish that seemed to last close to a minute. Before rebottling (about 2 hrs later) the fruit was jumping from the glass. Not a speck of heat was present. As the earthy dishes we selected were paired with the wine the fruit purity really shined. I'm going to try and hold another bottle for at least 5 yrs but I doubt I will succeed.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/26/2014 - Monaco wrote: 96 Points
Holy ish. By far the best new world Pinot I've ever tried. Perfect balance of new world fruit and old world earth. Finish lasts a full minute in the mouth after going down. Perfect way to celebrate my birthday. Glad there's more where that came from.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/23/2014 - pakabear Likes this wine: 95 Points
Consistent notes to other bottles. Very nice but doesn't compare to the '07.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/23/2014 - dcwino wrote: 95 Points
A lazy holiday lunch - Arnoux, Marcassin, Drouhin, Machina, Dujac and etc. (Blacksalt, Washington DC): Medium expressive nose of blackberries, black cherries and stewed tomatoes, dark spices, tree bark and earthy. Good concentration and balance. No noticeable alcohol. Really enjoyable.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/28/2014 - Redrum wrote: 98 Points
Decanted for one hour. Utterly spectacular - easily the best pinot noir I've ever had, with the longest, purest finish. Not sure how this could get any better, so will likely drink my remaining bottle within the next 3 years.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/24/2014 - pakabear Likes this wine: 95 Points
Best bottle so far, this is just getting better. Very good balance, creamy, good complexity, some bacon notes which makes me think some other grapes might be present, but it's damn good now. It was popped and poured, but got better at the 2 hour mark in a decanter.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/22/2014 - Yagil wrote: 90 Points
Sonoma Pinot Noir tasting (at Nurit & Asher Tishler, Mazkeret-Batya): this was my 5th CA Pinot Noir on the tasting and first to be appreciated as it had some of the 'real' PN (i.e. Burgundy) in it, well balanced, nice structured with similar to the classic flavours.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/8/2014 - S R U D I N Likes this wine: 97 Points
Truly Incredible
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/18/2014 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 95 Points
2014 New York Wine Experience Trip; 10/14/2014-10/21/2014 (New York City, NY): This medium ruby, medium-bodied Pinot has an intense nose of Bing cherries, rose petals, lavender, cinnamon and Asian spices. Very fresh and with medium-weight, silky tannins, it delivers flavors similar to the aromas. The wine's alcohol lurks silently and the middle palate is solid. Finishing long and supple, this is a wine with virtually no rough edges. Harmonious and balanced, it should be at its best over the next 7-10 years. Drink now-2024.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/27/2014 - LongViewCellars Likes this wine: 94 Points
It was everything and more that I expected. 3 hour decant then brought to Hatfields restaurant for my birthday.
Dark & inky with legs that melted down the glass. On the nose, you definitely got a burst of alcohol at first, dark berries, cherries and cassis. Taste of dark berries, cola, a hint of burnt wood and dark chocolate on the finish. Slightly tannic but a smooth finish that lasted a good 45 seconds. This bottle is clearly not at its sweet spot yet, but a treat nonetheless. I think I will wait several more years before opening the next bottle
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/23/2014 - coremill wrote: 85 Points
Dan's Birthday (Keens Steakhouse): Lots and lots of very sweet, candied red cherries, like drinking a jolly rancher. Quite dense and concentrated, with medium weight, extremely slick extract. Not much complexity -- the attraction here is the sweet fruit and the texture. This is a well-made wine in its idiom -- there's enough acidity so that it's in balance (whatever that means), and the alcohol is under control and doesn't stick out, so it's not undrinkable lighter fluid. Even though this is a little too candied and sweet for me, I can drink this, and though I don't much care for this candied style of Pinot Noir, I can see the appeal for fans of the style.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/14/2014 - BigSchmove Likes this wine: 97 Points
Had this as a special dinner with my family. it was amazing. It stood up to prime rib. it was smooth and thick. very well balanced low acid loved this a lot.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/14/2014 - emzee.mc wrote: 97 Points
Had this at Alex's home over hotpot with his friends. The wine was popped and aired for an hour before consumption. It is dark, inky purple in color with a garnet rim and very long, thin, fine legs that just cling onto the side of the glass. On the nose, the alcohol is quite apparent. There are prominent notes of potpourri, cherries, kirsch, Earl Grey, tobacco and mint. Great extraction from the pinot, resulting in incredible concentration and the bouquet just lept out from the glass. On the palate, the wine just cascades seamlessly down the throat with much finesse. Great structure and tannins, although apparent, were velvety and well integrated into the juice. The wine was even more concentrated on the palate. Notes of cassis, espresso, chocolates, straw, and miso came to the fore, supported by a backdrop of tingling sweet, jammy taste of cherries. Finish was very long (close to 40 seconds) and yet the wine was not cloying. Effortless. Unabashed. Voluptuous. Graceful. Incredible effort.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/7/2014 - Isalasdad Likes this wine: 96 Points
This was the final wine of the night, the mighty Marcassin. It is as good as they say, smooth and elegant. The only problem was all of the flak I got for drinking it after I told everyone what it sells for. Wine can be a tremendous investment. You just can't realize the profit if you drink the asset.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (2)
8/29/2014 - Melli Likes this wine: 95 Points
Fabulous wine. Really a treat.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/10/2014 - Lord Rodney wrote: 95 Points
Stunning Pinot - Very clean and fresh red berries. Not heavy. Very pure. No doubt the best Pinot Ive had from the US.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/25/2014 - Dnathanson wrote: 94 Points
Needs another 5 years before this wine is ready...potential for greatness. Dried cherries and charred cedar.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/20/2014 - MayValley wrote: 94 Points
Initially very closed aromatically. But oh my, it really opened up! Notes of minerals and blue fruit first, then sweet licorice, toast, spices - cardamom, and a chalky element.
The palate was also holding back at first. But the palate broadened significantly with time in the glass - lots of fruit - blue and red - some elegant silky pinot tannins and acidity to balance all the components. Still too Young, but a very nice wine. 94+
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/17/2014 - S R U D I N Likes this wine: 98 Points
This wine is breathtaking, it's like a symphony... Can't wait to see what this beautiful beast turns into. This wine is like a beautiful curvy woman, I can't get enough.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/25/2014 - Thirsty1 Likes this wine:
The bottle was enjoyed at R'Evolution in the French Quarter. This is one of the great pinot noir's produced in the US. Super fragrant with raspberry, strawberry with the depth of darker fruit and more weight than most pinot noir from France. I had a cornish game hen stuffed with rice and sausage gumbo. Unbelievable. This wine will be great for many, many years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/15/2014 - pakabear Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for 3 hours before consuming. It seems the '09 is more new world than some previous Marcassin vintages. Silky texture, good overall mouthfeel, medium to dark fruit, strawberry, rhubarb, some vanilla and cream, some forest floor like characteristics with some wood. It's quite good, but probably needs 3-4 years to get into a better drinking window. Has the typical Marcassin Cola flavor.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/22/2014 - pakabear Likes this wine: 93 Points
This was decanted for probably 8 hours, no formal note. Very nice overall texture and flavor, but I'm thinking it was decanted for too longer. I guessed blind it was Marcassin with that cola flavor, but I don't think the '09 is built for the long hall but is immensely enjoyable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/15/2014 - dlcass Likes this wine: 96 Points
Beautiful wine with stunning aromatics of smoked meats, bright fruit; still a little young; would wait another few years to try again.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/14/2014 - fdub Likes this wine: 96 Points
Pop and pour at Bistro Jeanty. Consumed over lunch and later in the evening. This wine has shifted between several different profiles. At first very compact and tight but with umami flavors on the nose and palate. Soy sauce, mushroom, raspberry compote. After 6+ hours of air it is open and radiant with sweet sappy baked red fruits. This is built for a long life and pleasure over many years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/9/2014 - pakabear Likes this wine: 93 Points
No formal note, really like it but not as complex as previous years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/3/2014 - VinoDiver Likes this wine: 94 Points
This wine is very good, lighter style, well structured Pinot. It has a nice femininity and the wine delicately coats the glass. This wine has a great nose and the wine seems to be well structured but the fruit is very restrained. Personally I hope a little more fruit will show in the future but after 2 days of testing this wine never changed. The future may however bring some very nice secondary notes into play.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/24/2013 - tp096255 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Roast-beef oriented from nose to finish. It's enjoyable enough, but barely has any glycerin in the mouth and seems thin on the finish. Not impressed at all and a bad QPR.
Had one more glass for the second day and still was left with the same impressions. At this price and for this vintage this PN should make angels weep. I've had better from third-rate producers in bad vintages. Sorry Helen and John. Brutal honesty, I know.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/21/2013 - buckeye76 wrote: 99 Points
BLACK CURRANTS, RASPBERRIES, LICORICE, AND A TOUCH OF EARTHINESS IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR. ELEGANT WINE WITH GREAT COMPLEXITY AND A VERY LONG FINISH.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/21/2013 - edwilley3 Likes this wine: 99 Points
I do not understand the negative remarks about this wine, especially the comments from the likes of Meadows. This was my first ever Marcassin pinot noir, sampled just to see what the hype was about. As a major league pinot skeptic, I was prepared to find the wine overhyped, overblown, and not worth the money. I was dead wrong on all three counts. With a full daytime decant (which is the norm for me on blockbuster reds and whites) this pinot was surprising in every way. A stunning concentration of fruit on the nose was combined with a huge wave of perfume coming out of the glass. I will add that a mid-sized Riedel "Overture" red glass was used. I tried a few different glasses and discovered that the taller glass with greater air space over the liquid brought out the most perfume; I would not use a balloon-shaped glass of any kind for this wine. That's food for thought and is consistent with my experiments on spirits glassware as well. Going back to the wine, the nose showed an array of florals including beautiful rose notes and sweet spiciness. The alcohol level was totally unremarkable, i.e. I didn't note the alcohol at all. I wouldn't say that it was sweet per se, but the lusciousness of the fruit gave it a "sweet" flavor appropriate to the really beautiful and complex palate of red fruits. Also, I would not call the wine "thin", but it did have a surprisingly light, finessed mouth feel, while not lacking concentration of flavor. This is something that I specifically appreciate about really well made wines, i.e. with a proper decant they become satisfyingly complex and intense but still approachable and elegant in the mouth. In sum, I was shocked to come to the conclusion that the wine was worth the money. I will admit quite freely that this tastes nothing like a French Burgundy or, say, PacNorthwest pinot. However, I don't consider this a negative at all. These are clearly very well farmed grapes and, at least in the bottle I drank, very well handled as far as the final product is concerned. I look forward to trying more and do hope that I won't end up disappointed like the others here.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/21/2013 - jazzwineman Likes this wine: 99 Points
The 2009 is near perfection. It is more than just profound, there is a great intensity/opulence/richness/finesse that is so delicate (as in fine crystal) and finessed that not all wine drinkers would pick up on them. Complete purity, no muddled notes, green or soiled flavors that I personally find in the French Burgundies. Structure from nose to finish is seamless and has a complete interwoven structure that is muli-layered and dimensional. Nose has floral notes of dried roses and other floral tones that range from a touch of Violet to Mignonette. There are ripe blue, black and dark red fruit notes that move from crushed black sweet cherries, to touches of plum, maybe a slight boysenberry and black raspberry, mixed along the nose is spice of a touch of cinnamon, doses of camphor/nutmeg, mild smoke and a touch of brown sugar on the end. Quite hedonistic! Low, mild and high palate is opulent, mouth coating, but delicate dancing on the mouth feel with more notes of minerality/ crushed rocks (also present in nose) tactile sweetness along with massive, but delicate doses of fruit that exhibit in the nose. Has proper tannin structure and acidity that supports underneath as a foundation, but never strays to be heavy handed. Transitions to finish is sweet fruit, wood, smoke and almost a 2 & 1/2 minute finish with secondary waves of flavor coming through.. A rare treat!!!!! The wine should age well for the next 25 years. Only reason I don’t give 100 is the room for improvement with age.
________________________________________
Granted I am not the drinking expert or huge fan of Pinot Noir or Red Burgundies, however after 10 hours of decanting and I will say this just as a general practice that not allowing a classic (much less expensive wine) of any sort not to decant and to pop and drink or try on a short decant is not giving respect to the wine or the winemaker. I tasted small amount along the 10 hours and the differences peaked in the evening and this is one major and profound wine. However, if I just popped and drank or let decant for an hour, I would have missed on the nuances, layers and complexity.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/16/2013 - Uglypinga Likes this wine:
Right off the truck this had a bunch of undissolved sulfur and was spritzy. Shook it three times and it popped three times. A mess in the glass. Day two there was nothing fruit wise and I thought it was shot. Day three finally shows the Marcassin I know and love. Great nose of coffee grounds cinnamon and plums. The palate is oh so smooth and balanced. That's right, balanced. Hints of pomegranate cherries and a touch of coffee. Great acid on this makes it clean and mouth watering. I really like these wines.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (7)