3/11/2023 - Minnesota wrote:

Wow. Forced myself to slow down and sip. Between its aroma, unctuousness on the tongue, and taste buds sensation one of the best Chardonnays I have had the pleasure to drink in decades.

3/6/2023 - Minnesota wrote:

So much pleasure in well-rounded fruit that tickles every taste bud. Unctuous. Wish we had another case or two.

3/6/2023 - Minnesota wrote:

Dense, never opened to reveal redeeming fruit.

3/6/2023 - Minnesota wrote:

Past its prime though not undrinkable. Of late apparent Marcassin chardonnays should be consumed during first decade of life.

2/25/2023 - Minnesota wrote:

Completely undrinkable. Quarter cup used in bolognese made the sauce distinctly sweet, not savory, despite lack of any other sugar. Ugh.

2/18/2023 - Minnesota wrote:

Double magnum. In stellar drinking window.

2/5/2023 - Minnesota wrote:

Lovely crisp, clean South African Sauv Blanc with notes of gooseberry and melon. Excellent value.

1/29/2023 - Minnesota wrote:

Concerned when found seepage entire length of the cork. Funky aroma as poured into decanter also provided little hope. Following 90 minute decant consumed over an hour accompanied by grilled galbi shanken beef ribs. Pleasant surprise and excellent pairing.

1/6/2023 - Minnesota wrote:

In terms of drinking pleasure, this Dragonette 96-98. Antipathy of jammy fruit bomb style of way too many Sonoma and St. Barbara County pinots. Very feminine yet structured. CA pinot on the nose but Burgundian in style. Lovely.

1/1/2023 - Minnesota wrote:

Very pleasant served with baked butter and lemon cod.

12/30/2022 - Minnesota wrote:

Apple cider-ish. Not pleasant drinking, used as cooking wine.

12/30/2022 - Minnesota wrote:

Excellent value Chenin. Clean, crisp, balanced aromatics and minerality. Perfect accompaniment to shrimp green curry. I need a case.

12/27/2022 - Minnesota wrote:

For the price point and "opportunity cost" of cellaring 15 years, underwhelming. Cannot compete with fine aged Southern Rhones.

12/25/2022 - Minnesota wrote:

What a pleasant surprise. Found sole bottle mis-racked in the wine cellar. Having no experience with Nefarious pinot (great fan of their Cab Franc and RX-3), did not hold much hope for vibrancy after six years. PnP. Immensely enjoyable. Soft, balanced fruit in a restrained Burgundian style. Wish I owned more.

12/16/2022 - Minnesota wrote:

My bias, flavors take me back to feminine pinots produced in Russian River Valley during 1990s. Distinct pleasure to imbibe.

12/15/2022 - Minnesota wrote:

Definitely "off". Distinctive burnt cherries aroma and flavor profile. Disappointing.

12/5/2022 - Minnesota wrote:

Evolved surprisingly well in the glass. Scant 15-minute decant, would have benefited from 1-2 decant. Wish Marcassin chardonnay vintages had similar ability to cellar well.

12/3/2022 - Minnesota wrote:

What bottle variation. Still not Marcassin that memories are made of but at least drinkable. In-your-face butterscotch. Decanted two hours.

11/27/2022 - Minnesota wrote:

Totally undrinkable. Shame there are more in the cellar. All cooking wine?

11/12/2022 - Minnesota wrote:

Again Hartford disappoints....

11/12/2022 - Minnesota wrote:

I'm convinced Hartford chardonnay and pinot is not built to age.

11/9/2022 - Minnesota wrote:

Absolutely zero varietal character, could be anything. Coyingly sweet even with food.

11/4/2022 - Minnesota wrote:

Excellent value for the price point.

11/3/2022 - Minnesota wrote:

Sweet cherry fruit, lacks complexity.

10/27/2022 - Minnesota wrote:

Exquisite. Drunk following 2.5 hour decant as viewed live via Zoom Jesse Katz and associate winemaker Hillary Sjolund discuss 2020 season including the fires then sample 2020 red Bordeaux blend and non-vineyard designated Cabernet. Preceding day coincidentally saw live interview of Lisa Perrotti-Brown who sang the praises of '20 Bordeaux blend. Can't wait.

10/23/2022 - Minnesota wrote:

Fun pizza / spicy grilled Korean shanken beef ribs wine.

10/14/2022 - Minnesota wrote:

Concur with Handy1's tasting observations. Would add striking glycerin legs envelop the glass.

10/8/2022 - Minnesota wrote:

Decanted two hours planning to drink on its own. First sips quite tart so decided to consume with dinner, seared scallops and au gratin potatoes. Oxidation very apparent, not pleasant = cooking wine. I've been extremely disappointed with KB. So many superior vintners. Caveat emptor.

10/2/2022 - Minnesota wrote:

Too simplistic. One-dimensional cherry juice.

10/2/2022 - Minnesota wrote:

Good everyday value PnP.

10/1/2022 - Minnesota wrote:

Rating is for value at price point. Paid 1c on promotion, will gladly pay full asking for excellent everyday white to accompany Thai / Sichuan / Laotian fiery spicy entrees.

9/21/2022 - Minnesota wrote:

Deep yellow coloration which I've come to learn not necessarily indicator of a bad Marcassin bottle but this one way, way off the mark. Odd totally off-putting burn on the finish. Choked down a glass hoping for improvement over time but no. Remainder going into marinara ragu.

9/18/2022 - Minnesota wrote:

In a thrilling drink window. Throwback to style of pinot noir before the days of high-rated Cab-like fruit bombs.

9/8/2022 - Minnesota wrote:

In a beautiful drinking window. I'm more and more impressed by Martinelli syrahs vs. the direction pinot noirs moved post-Helen Turley.

9/7/2022 - Minnesota wrote:

Don't believe I've ever described a wine as ruins the taste of food but this stinker consistently does. At best cooking wine.

8/10/2022 - Minnesota wrote:

Still in drinking window. Very well-balanced fruit and tannin backbone.

7/30/2022 - Minnesota wrote:

Excellent summer thirst quencher. Crisp, clean, charming.

7/25/2022 - Minnesota wrote:

My initial thought was "bracing". This is not a chardonnay for lovers of butter / oak. Pale yellow, medium bodied. Lemony citrus-forward is balanced by minerality and unctuous finish. No idea as to long-term cellar aging potential but drinking so lovely, why wait?

7/18/2022 - Minnesota wrote:

Delightful. PnP. Pleasant respite on 90' / 75% humidity afternoon.

7/17/2022 - Minnesota wrote:

Better than last bottle but these should have been consumed years ago. Deep yellow in color. Unpleasant funk on the finish.

7/5/2022 - Minnesota wrote:

Will stay with my 92 rating as in 2017. Not what I've come to consider Marcassin Stellar.

7/5/2022 - Minnesota wrote:

Lovely. In very spot at this point in time.

6/13/2022 - Minnesota wrote:

The nearly universal high scores perplex me. Following an undrinkable 2015 Ma Douce, this bottling also left me wanting. Beginning to question if Morlet chardonnays are cellar ageable.

6/11/2022 - Minnesota wrote:

Disappointment. Spouse said reminiscent of diluted apple cider. A shame.

5/16/2022 - Minnesota wrote:

Absolutely one of the best value-to-taste wines I've consumed in ages. Sampled at small wine shop, blown away by its approachability. PnP bottle with dinner of hot Italian sausage, orecchiette, and rapini. Exceptional.

4/30/2022 - Minnesota wrote:

This bottle drank 'flabby'. Cherry too prominent, not balanced by tannins.

4/23/2022 - Minnesota wrote:

What a brilliant surprise! We've consumed many M. Chico Hill clunkers over the past decade so not expecting much. Instead most strikingly memorable wine in years. Spouse declared closest comparison the superb 2002 Pahlmeyer merlot.

4/23/2022 - Minnesota wrote:

Disappointingly one dimensional. Bright cherry fruit on the nose and tongue but lacks complexity.

4/17/2022 - Minnesota wrote:

Not going to rate. Seems my palate preference has shifted to other varietals. And wines that bespeak of their terroir.

4/3/2022 - Minnesota wrote:

Lovely with porterhouse and horseradish mashed potatoes. Can definitely discern its impeccable French terroir profile.