Probably a bit past prime but still delicious. Unfined with slight cloudiness, cork in good shape. Brioche, butter and white peach on noses. Fabulous mouth feel, butterscotch and white peach and long, lingering finish with a hint of anise.
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Just way too much much oak. At 15yrs of age I would have thought the oak would calm down or integrate better. The acid was also lacking to balance this out. Others thought is was a N Rhone because of the weight/mouthfeel.
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My last bottle and boy so I feel lucky to have tasted this wine a few times. One of the best white wines I have ever tasted. Murky gold color despite standing up and decanting. The nose is incredible with mature fruits and cream corn. The palate is rich, full and filled with life. Feels like a vandage tardive Chardonnay that is totally dry. It’s got so much extract. Wow. (98)
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Nose: lemon tart, cream, caramel, white flower, banana, waffles Notes: My second time drinking this vintage. As usual this is a heavy, full bodied but absolutely aromatic white. With 14.9% ABV this would certainly put this wine on the slightly sweeter side. Certainly this top heavy wine can endure more time and I would predict another 5 years to reach its max potential. In fact after drinking so many vintages I would say that Marcassin wines are delicious yet probably too consistent and a little too heavy. Some wines are perhaps a little too oily and Marcassin I would say is one of them. One need not debate whether this is a great wine but what's debatable is whether it's worth the price tag attached to it. Drink: 2028+ Rating: 91
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Purchased direct from winery and properly stored. Popped and poured. Paired with butter poached monkfish and enjoyed over several hours.
Pale golden hay yellow color. Nose is a bit reticent with white flower notes and white peach scents. Palate has great acidity. Figs, toasted bread , wet stones, white flower honey and immense depth and concentration. Super long finish, 60 seconds+.
A tour de force in California chardonnay and one of the best white wines I have had rhe pleasure to drink. Could last several more years but absolutely no reason to wait.
Perfect and one of a handful of white wines I have given a perfect score.
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Drank this over 3 nights (opened Friday, finished Sunday) and this bottle showed absolutely no decline between the first day and this evening, when we finished the bottle. As such, I believe this wine has lots of years remaining. Agree with other recent TNs. This wine is hard to surpass.
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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.
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Dinner at Pelagos, Astir Palace, Athens (Pelagos, Astir Palace, Athens): Tasted blind. At the start while coldish the wine was more of a Rhône variety ( we guessed California Rhône Blend) but made in the US style but once it came to its own the notes were definitely of an oaky Chardonnay albeit a harmonious balance of oak and depth of flavour from the wine. 15yr young wine, lots of life ahead too. 94-95
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This is still killing it with a classic chard nose, although leaning now towards an apple pie note. Amazing lemon curd cream on the palate with a hint of petrol mid-palate, and I would say that the acid intensity isn’t there (but with this style, was it ever?). Completely enjoyable bottle.
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Bottle purchased on release from Marcassin and stored at sub 10 degrees Celsius since delivery. Bright yellow with nose of intense ripe Saturn peach and lemon curd. Explosive Ataulfo mango and Ambrosia apple on the palate with a slap of lemon at the lengthy back end. The nose and palatal presence is off the charts, but the most impressive feature of this wine is the incredible viscosity, reminiscent of most DRC Montrachet vintages at a similar age-Wow! To put this in perspective, I have been purchasing from the Aubert Chardonnay mailing list since 2004, and this bottle slays any of those many bottlings, which is no small feat ! This is my new gold standard for New World Chardonnay and the best I have ever had to date!
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Awesome, sublime, aged, lemon juice yellow, has ripe mango, marzipan, honey and buttery toast without being oaky. Best just cool. Had over 4 nights, Pivot worked well.
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Poured from a Coravin’d bottle. Aromas of hazelnut, papaya, crushed rock, lemon oil and hint of mango. Flavors of mango, papaya, pineapple, lemon pie and macadamia nut. Ends with a great 50-55 second finish with tropical fruit notes. Still going strong with no signs of decline.
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PnP. Very tight cork needed to use the Durand to extract it. Slightly cloudy Medium deep yellow. Very viscous given the legs. Clean nose with orchard fruits and a touch of tropical with some marzipan iike notes. On the palate this is wonderful; deep fruit but balanced with high acid and a very long finish. Not sure its up with the previous bottles at age 13 but wonderful. One of the most unctuous Marcassin Chards in my experience but not at all flabby. Great wine.
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Rich, lush, round, full and deep, the wine now leans to the honeysuckle, orange rind, apple, pear and vanilla side. The fruit-filled finish really lingers.
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So good. At 12 years old it’s pretty amazing. Tastes like a caramel dipped apple that we used to make at Halloween. Acidity is still there but that intense. Great mouthfeel and long finish. Not sure how much more this will evolve but it’s holding up very well and it’s delicious now so I’m going to keep drinking
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Double blind Cab based wine tasting (Eddie V's - Tysons Corner, VA): Youthful mineral driven nose displaying ripe yellow and white fruit, apple, pear, pineapple, lemon crud, smoked oyster, burnt sugar, spicy spices and wet stone. Excellent concentration, finely layered concentrated ripe yellow fruit, oily and rich but also cool and fresh, medium acidity, strong mineral and a long sweet yellow fruit driven finish with burnt sugar and spicy spices at the end. Although it is fresh and cool, there is noticeable heat at the end. A classic Marcassin so YMMV.
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I do feel like this wine will vary in score depending on my mood, I pretty much have the same tasting note as last time, but this time I found it maybe a little over the top sweet and candy like. It's still mind-blowing as not much tastes like this, if anything.
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Stood upright for a day, chilled, then transported out to dinner in SF. PnP. Hazy medium gold. Fascinating nose of marzipan and tropical fruits. Rich and ripe on the palate but with enough acidity to keep it interesting. Superb intensity and a finish that lasts forever. This seemed to improve with air rather than falling apart; perhaps just past its peak but still one of the best new world Chards I've tasted.
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Had the chance to taste this one blind alongside 2012 and 2013 Point Rouge Peter Michael Chardonnays. In my opinion, very similar styled. However, this one was definitely showing signs of decline. Butterscotch and lots of it. Seemed to be Full tilt to that side, along with some herbal influence. I was getting some aged brioche but again this was just trapped underneath a gigantic dome of butterscotch. The entire flavor profile of the wine seemed to be muted by that one particular note. I am not sure if this bottle was tainted necessarily, or if these are just starting to show a little bit of bottle variation? I would drink now if you have these.
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(at Petite Louis - Baltimore) Easily the best bottle of white wine I have ever had from NA. This is the essence of Marcassin only amplified and integrated. Almost hard to believe a wine with such intensity could be so balanced. So long - extraordinary. (99)
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My last bottle of this, an incredible Chard from anywhere, incredible intense yet perfectly balanced, lemon, butterscotch, lemon bars with powdered sugar, pear, lychee, some cream and butter with a great striking minerality running through out. Love it. Drank great as a PnP, no reason to wait. Some crystals on the cork and neck so the tannins are starting to diminish.
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2018 Villa d’Este Wine Symposium – Kelly, RJ, Justin and Kevin's excellent adventure; 11/7/2018-11/11/2018 (Villa D’este, Lake Como): Nicely balance nose displaying ripe yellow fruit, pineapple dominates, also apple pie, crème brulee, sweet and spicy spices and crushed rocks. Excellent concentration, concentrated ripe oily yellow fruit, dense and deeply toned, medium acidity and strong mineral and a long pineapple and spicy spices driven finish. Very Marcassin so Caveat Emptor. Drinking beautifully, absolutely no reason to wait!
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It was served blind to me. Nose resembled a burgundy with white chocolate, citrus and minerals. The ripeness and oak on th palate gave away to the new world identity. Rich and fat. Not my style of white.
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Glorious bottle decanted an hour in advance. Murky gold color. Ripe apricot skin and wildflower honey nose. Zippy and a touch prickly due to unbelievable intensity. Palate is rich and viscous but so full of flavor. Serious stuff. Heavy but just brilliant for this style. (97)
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Guys night - You know the drill: Pop and pour, and we let it warm up a tad from refrigerator temperature. This is a burly and bold chardonnay. It is big, and there is oak, and a lot of fruit. There is, surprisingly, a saline almost chablis quality to the NOSE, but the palate only has a whisper of limestone to it. Rather, the palate is a whack by a 2x4 made of oak and wrapped in butterscotch. Smoky, ash, limestone, and a really big mouthfeel. I truly enjoyed this wine, as noted by my score, but must admit that it surpasses my threshold of acceptability for how big, oaked and ripe a chardonnay should be. At least one person at the table liked it less than me, and one person at the table was very vocal at how amazing this wine was. For sure, it is a wine worth drinking.
Make it Count (Jason P's, St. Paul, MN): Light gold color. Drank 1 glass over 45 minutes. The nose starts with pure butterscotch, giving way to grilled pear, and oak spice. I found the nose intriguing at first, but seemed to become a bit odd after about 20 minutes as it warmed. The palate was also dominated at first by butterscotch with pear, oak spice, creme brulee, wood, vanilla, and there is some heat coming through as it warms. The nose does show some nice minerality about 30 minutes in. Overall, I found this better a bit colder and when it was first poured. Always fun and interesting to taste, not to mention enjoyable, but it never truly rocks me the way some others are.
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Bright yellow. Rich ripe tropical fruit and honeysuckle notes. Well balanced with loads of minerality and bright acidity. One of the better white wines we’ve has so far this year- always a crowd pleaser.
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Wonderful fruit and floral notes on the nose and palate with silky smooth texture and oaky notes culminating in a long evolving finish. Paired beautifully with King crab legs.
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Now we are talking. I saw another note that described this as a white silk robe, and that is spot on. This is such a complete wine, with beautiful viscosity and mouthfeel. Drinking perfectly, but seems to have a very long life ahead of it. Paired with Lobster salad, which was an ideal combination.
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Big 50 lunch (Mi Casa): Very mineral driven nose displaying ripe yellow fruit, pineapple, lemon curd, a hint of crème brulee, burnt sugar and sweet spices. There is a hint of heat at the end. Excellent concentration, very steely mineral, pineapple and sweet spices driven palate impression, bright acidity and a long decadent yellow fruit driven finish with a hint of alcohol at the end. The mineral presence is impressive. If you have low tolerance for alcohol or ripeness, this is not for you. This is an excellent modern style Domestic Chardonnay.
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Spectacular wine. At perfect drinking age. Buttery but without being heavy at all. Beautifully nuanced flavors with some tropical fruit and judicious use of oak. This is what great Cali Chardonnay is all about.
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Throwing around scores tonight (tasted with 82 La Miss, rated98). But total WOW wine. Drinking great, was a bit surprised. Great straw to pale yellow color, definitely looks unfiltered. Nose pops with butter, citrus and white wildflower. But incredible palate, as good as Chardonnay gets. Orange marmalade, honeysuckle, mango. It's the real deal. Have to think it's at end of peak, but terrific today.
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Needed 2 hours to open, but this bottle never performed to expectations. Over-oaked, not well balanced. As I read other notes, I am wondering if we are tasting the same wine. Disappointing 90
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Best Chard ever, EVER. See my note from 6/1/2013 for the wine's flavor profile, which hasn't changed. What has changed is that there is no longer any raw/leesy edge. It's just a white silk robe now. I noted someone else talked about the crystals in the wine. I had the same experience last night. Perhaps it was the precipitation of the tartaric acid out of the wine that gave it such a smooth glide on the tongue. I can't be sure. What I am sure of is that this is the highest score I have ever given to any wine, white or red. I am loathe to ever score a wine 100 points because what if something more amazing comes along?!? If any wine was worthy of 100 points in my life, it would be this one. I have had three bottles now over the past 4 years and it just improves every time.
It seems to be at its peak so I wouldn't hold these bottles any longer for fear they could decline. Maybe they wont for a few years, but why risk it when you are this close to perfection?
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Another terrific bottle. Ripe unctuous fruit- apricot and honeysuckle flavors. A bit of a caramelized butter on the smooth finish. Extremely complex and balanced.
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First thing to notice was the large amount of titrate crystals on the cork, that usually does affect the tannins in the wine. Great nose, tropical fruits, sea shells, quince, sweet spices, impeccable balance, creamy palate, pear juice, fruit cup, salty blue stone and a bit of heat on the tail end. The tannins have dissipated a lot, probably due to the formation of the titrate crystals.
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Needed time to open up. Not as much acid or mineral quality as I'd like. Nose of cotton candy, butterscotch, baked pineapple. Full mouth feel; slightly syrupy- but in a good way. Voluptuous. Perhaps my score is not as high as the past due to my evolving palate. But, I'm not sure what will be gained by waiting longer now.....
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Our friend visited with his family for a sip 'n snack birthday month event. Followed very nicely after 1999 Champagne Alfred Gratien Brut. Golden, yellowish-grown. The first sister was elegant on the eye. Aromas of vibrant blend of citrus, burnt caramel and toasted almonds. Very, very inviting on the nose...someone needs to make a perfume with that smell! The ultimate second sister!!! Palate was buttery, vanilla cream with a hint too much acidity. A bit too perky third sister, but we waited a little to ensure she acted appropriately. Yes, we think this wine needs another year or two of cellaring before hitting on all cylinders. 97+ in the future!!!
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Excellent Chardonnay. The nose was a bit restrained and the palate precise and not overdone. No sign of oak or butter/caramel, not that I don't appreciate those flavors. This reminded me of a slightly riper Burgundy.
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Dinner at Galletto's (Modesto): Had alongside the 02...the 08 was a little cloudy and lighter than the amazing 02! Lot of fresh citrus acidity brightens up the med rich fruits...wonderful flavors of toasted marshmallow, honey butter bread, exotic wood spice....good dose of minerality...chalk dust, crushed rocks...pretty florals and some flint strike. Super wine today...but after seeing what the 02 turned into....the few more years of age should do even more wonders for this wine. +pts
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Needed about an hour of air for some of the oak/toast to dissipate, but once it did this was fantastic. I find myself drinking less and less of this type of Chardonnay, but when I'm in the mood for this style Marcassin is hard to beat. Drink or hold.
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Beautiful pale yellow straw color. Nose has some butter and honey, with tropical fruit that came out as it sat in the glass. Fairly light and subtle, but so beautiful. And the flavor lingers for a minute. Drinking perfectly with plenty of life left. And got better as opened.
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Viking dinner at RJs - 96 Salon, 09 Coche CC, 01 Rousseau, 06 CSS, 06 Masseto, 01 D'Yquem and etc. (Reston, Va): Another excellent showing even for a Francophile. Despite ripe yet big, this displays exceptional balance. Expressive nose displaying ripe yellow fruits, lemon curd and pineapple, saline, mineral and sweet spices. Excellent concentration, unctuous, nicely layered fruits, mineral, bright acidity and lovely long finish with a hint of alcohol at the end. This is an exceptional domestic Chardonnay.
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Consistent with last bottle, this stuff is truly amazing and drank with Florida wine friends in for weekend and this tied for the groups WOTN with 2002 Shafer HSS. Other notable competitors were SQN 2012 Stock, 2010 Shafer HSS, and 2007 OVID, among others. This may be the best Cali Chard I have ever tasted. A true WOW wine for both the elite and the novice. I can't stop myself from opening these!
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Mostly French dinner - Rayas, 00 Lafite, 13 Trump, H Lignier CDR and etc. (The Grill Room at Capella Hotel Georgetown): This once again displays incredible balance for such a big scale wine. Expressive nose displaying pure white fruits, pear, lemon, pineapple, saline, mineral and smoke. Excellent concentration, big and chewy but nice overall balance, bright acidity and lovely long clean refreshing finish. For my palate, a hint of heat at the end but not terribly bothersome. Greg and I agree that this is the wine to serve to your date who is into wine but not really into wine as a couple extra bases is almost gawr-On-tee! My apologies in advance if the statement offends anyone.
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Maybe as good as Cali chard gets. Lush rich dense aromas of sweet ripe yellow fruits with vanilla bean oil. Big concentrated fruit forward flavored that coat the mouth with superb minerality and complexity. a waxy floral essence adds a layer of intrigue. Some lychee nut and citrus create nice freshness and add some zip. A true wow wine.
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1500 Parker Points of Wines (GHT): The nose is smoky with nice lemon cream. Pretty creamy texture. Very smooth. It has a lot of ripe/sweet fruit on it but it worked well with a cheese tray. A little more acidity was needed for my tastes, but I could see a lot of people swooning over this one.
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Death by Lobster (Four Seasons Hotel, Atlanta): Big and intense, it has complexity, but it's hard to tell where the fruit ends and the wood begins. It gets tiring to drink pretty quickly.
Fantastic wine that needs to breathe a bit before consumption, An hour or two decant opens it up beautifully. Wonderful tropical fruit and floral on the nose. The body gives you that rich, deep palate with some smoke, added to the flower and fruit essences balanced by some decent acidity and enough mineral flavors to keep everything humming along. Just a stupendous wine that is so smooth and rich you can't get enough of it.
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An amazing chardonnay. Hints of smokiness (smoked salmon as the other reviewer suggests?) then as it opened everything you would want from a great one. Great nose, tropical fruits, acidity, long finish. This takes me back to the first Chalone I had in 1980.
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Chilled for a couple of hours but not taken through the careful Marcassin protocol to clarify the wine. Initially, huge but quite tight. Over an hour or two this blossomed and just kept getting better with a hugh tropical fruit nose, balancing acidity, and a finish that went on forever. Amazing wine and a benchmark even in comparison to other Marcassin - one comment: Corton Charlemagne on steroids...
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Just incredible. What else can be said. Dont think I have rated but one white wine higher than this. As good as it gets. Amazing purity and freshness. I've had this twice now and the rest will sit for a LONG time. This is very age worthy. But had to try a couple now. 95+ and could go higher.....
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The wine looks yellow gold colored. The legs are slow. It smells like pineapple, lemon and chrysanthemum. It tastes like mineral. The body is full. The wine has polished texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity. Parker says Chardonnay of the Decade!
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New World Dinner at the Capital Grille Tysons (Capital Grille, Tysons, VA): I am not a big fan of Marcassin but this is exceptional. Noticeable smoke, kinda crazy but reminds me smoked Ankimo/uni, really creamy butter, smoked fish, saline, mineral and lemon. Excellent concentration but remains balanced, mineral and fresh. The best Marcassin I have drunk.
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Jostled in transit to dinner so was a little cloudly. Lovely chard showing no signs of age. Nose was appley, with toast, tropical fruit. Smooth and luscious in the mouth with layers of sweet fruit - while not flabby it was not as acidic as I expected. Expensive.
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Amazing!! Amazing aromatics of toasted mascarpone, persimmon. Great mouth feel and finish. I would love to see how this will continue to evolve. Wait 5 years for next try.
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Beautiful tropical aromatics. A very unique flavor profile for a Chardonnay- almost Northern Rhone with its complex layered flavor structure. Nice honeysuckle and ripe apricot notes on the long finish. This was very, very good, and made an excellent pairing with a fresh poached Ono. One of our highest rated wines of 2013.
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Syrah and Grenache at Blackstone Steakhouse (Blackstone Steakhouse Norwalk CT.): Super excited to try my first Marcassin Chardonnay. This started off a little shy, as the wine was too cold from sitting in an ice bucket. Once it warmed up I got some mineral, lemon and toast on the very elegant nose. I didn''t know quite to expect when I tasted this based on that but this was just an enormous wine. Waves of favor just hit the palate with lemon, butter, marshmallow, with a finish that lasts well over a minute. A total shock to your palate if your not ready for it as not too many producers make Chardonnay's this rich. Looking forward to opening some more.
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30th Birthday - Bordeaux Wine (1983) (Le Sommelier, Copenhagen): Lovely deep nose filled with exotic fruits, toothpaste and butter. It is very intense and has a toasted note to it. Hugely intense palate with a lovely deep fruit, coffee and a lot of different spices. A long and spicy aftertaste with some toasty notes. The palate is packed with popcorn and a lot of complexity. At the moment it perhaps lacks a little acidity but it could change with time. A great wine.
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This was truly amazing, much better than the first time I had this when it was recently shipped. It could be confused blind with a Montrachet in a hot year given the higher sugar levels. Huge complexity, loads of minerals, quince, liche, granny smith apple skins and some citrus components on the attack. Great acidity but not over the top. This is top notch.
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An anniversary dinner and a couple of wines (Marea, NYC): In the glass, pale yellowish-white. On the nose, a mix of honeysuckle, orange peel, and petrol. On the palate, a mystifyingly light, ethereal blend of floral notes, citrus, clove, butterscotch, and more honeysuckle. Is this really chardonnay? If I had tasted this blind, I would have guessed Guigal La Doriane. Dead ringer for a high-end viognier, not at all what I was expecting. But quite beguiling and delicious nonetheless. I have no idea where this is going from here.
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Very good, but lacked the acidity or complexity of the Three Sisters Which we enjoyed @ Fish & Game, Hudson,NY 2 weeks ago. I did have a problem with the cork, and had to push the remainder into the bottle, and decanted. I don't believe it affected the wine.
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I still prefer the 2007, even with all the vanilla, citrus, stone and fresh grapefruit notes going on. The wine is rich, silky, long and balanced, but at least for today, the 2007 seems to offer more of an exotic quality. Regardless, both are about as good as California Chardonnay gets.
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Start with a careful decant, unfiltered, there is sediment Wow, wow, wow, everyone tock a sip, and wow. Fun to hear fellow wine geeks get excited about a white. What vintage, shit this is good. I did not say this is a hundred point wine. I poured it from a decanter blind. After hearing all the wow's, I sniffed, wow, what a nose. Unbelaviable, how does a white wine omit this fragrance. First sip, down the hatch. This is one of those, WTF wines. I knew what it was, expecting another ya, that's nice, never expected a holy shit moment. Helen, you raised the bar. This is chard on crack. Pears, apricots, smooth pleasure, pure decadence into your mouth. Mashed grape, a seductive force, this wine needs a warning label. I can't describe it.
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--- COLOR: Slightly cloudy honey-gold (though I decanted extremely carefully on its side). I think this needs a few more years for the lees to autolyse and drop out. That may enhance the experience and could lead to a higher score.
NOTE: Wow, this is an elixir of striking depth and beauty. It is in the same company as the 2005 Shibumi Knoll and 2008 Aubert Reuling and could perhaps surpass them. It is hard to find a flaw in this. Maybe just a hint of leesy rawness between the mouth and finish, and just a tinge of overt oakiness in the nose. However, I'm just nitpicking here. This delivers on all aspects. The nose is a mélange of perfectly toasted marshmallow, citrus oils, Madagascar vanilla bean, crème fraiche. The nose obviously gets more complex as it warms up in the glass. Eventually some honeysuckle (and jasmine?) show up for the party. It's very complex. Then the mouth, oh what a mouth! This is opulent, unctuous, voluptuous, corpulent, glycerin-driven, whatever you want to call it. It's like a hard citrus candy dissolving in your mouth. No heat anywhere, just a prominent lemon oil base buttressed by sweet cream butter, cooked scone, even a hint of cornbread (weird, never experienced that before in any white). White peach shows up after a couple hours. The finish is 45+ seconds long and echoes much of the mouth, but there are distinct impressions of the finish as well, especially the white flowers. It just has such a lovely balance. I was planning on selling my remaining bottles if this was just another over-rated Chard, but I think I'm keeping my last 3. This is special-occasion juice, not to be missed.
Between 2-3 hours the finish seems to yield a sweet glycerin that is absolutely addicting. It's a dry wine obv, but that sweet fruit is amazing.
Another interesting thing is that this had little dingleballs sticking all around the edge of the cork bottom, like amber droplets. They didn't look like tartaric acid crystals, but were amber/beige and opaque. One dropped off into the decanter and never dissolved. Never seen this before in any wine, white or red.
DECANT: 0-3 hours GLASS USED: Sommelier Montrachet TASTE: 9.6- OTHER: COST: 129 VALUE: 8.0 (because it's so darn good) PREVIOUSLY TASTED: n/a TRY AGAIN: 2014 - 2020 PAIRING: nothing. Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net ---
Packed and stacked with layers of ripe citrus, lemon rind, vanilla, stone and flowers, this was is intense, mouth filling and rich. Yet, everything is in balance and focused. The long finish continues for at least 40 seconds. Popped and poured, the wine softened and came together with 30 minutes of air. At this stage, I prefer the 2007, but with another year or 2 in the bottle, the results could be quite different.
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This syrupy thick viscus wine is loaded with multiple flavors which are pleasing, but it is the almost molasses texture that stands out along with all it carries to the back end; there`s certainly good acidity and a plethora of maple, apple, butterscotch and stone fruit notes; I`ve had quite a few Marcassin chards that have not impressed that much; this was not one of them; eye opening.
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7/14/2023 - Dancelzard Likes this wine: 93 Points
Probably a bit past prime but still delicious. Unfined with slight cloudiness, cork in good shape. Brioche, butter and white peach on noses. Fabulous mouth feel, butterscotch and white peach and long, lingering finish with a hint of anise.
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3/31/2023 - etc wrote:
Just way too much much oak. At 15yrs of age I would have thought the oak would calm down or integrate better. The acid was also lacking to balance this out. Others thought is was a N Rhone because of the weight/mouthfeel.
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2/25/2023 - dbkitc wrote: 98 Points
My last bottle and boy so I feel lucky to have tasted this wine a few times. One of the best white wines I have ever tasted. Murky gold color despite standing up and decanting. The nose is incredible with mature fruits and cream corn. The palate is rich, full and filled with life. Feels like a vandage tardive Chardonnay that is totally dry. It’s got so much extract. Wow. (98)
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1/21/2023 - TWSA Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nose: lemon tart, cream, caramel, white flower, banana, waffles
Notes: My second time drinking this vintage. As usual this is a heavy, full bodied but absolutely aromatic white. With 14.9% ABV this would certainly put this wine on the slightly sweeter side. Certainly this top heavy wine can endure more time and I would predict another 5 years to reach its max potential. In fact after drinking so many vintages I would say that Marcassin wines are delicious yet probably too consistent and a little too heavy. Some wines are perhaps a little too oily and Marcassin I would say is one of them. One need not debate whether this is a great wine but what's debatable is whether it's worth the price tag attached to it.
Drink: 2028+
Rating: 91
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12/3/2022 - Minnesota wrote: 90 Points
What bottle variation. Still not Marcassin that memories are made of but at least drinkable. In-your-face butterscotch. Decanted two hours.
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11/27/2022 - Minnesota wrote: 50 Points
Totally undrinkable. Shame there are more in the cellar. All cooking wine?
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11/11/2022 - huntinpagan wrote: 100 Points
Purchased direct from winery and properly stored. Popped and poured. Paired with butter poached monkfish and enjoyed over several hours.
Pale golden hay yellow color. Nose is a bit reticent with white flower notes and white peach scents. Palate has great acidity. Figs, toasted bread , wet stones, white flower honey and immense depth and concentration. Super long finish, 60 seconds+.
A tour de force in California chardonnay and one of the best white wines I have had rhe pleasure to drink. Could last several more years but absolutely no reason to wait.
Perfect and one of a handful of white wines I have given a perfect score.
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10/23/2022 - bsbrown05 Likes this wine: 99 Points
Drank this over 3 nights (opened Friday, finished Sunday) and this bottle showed absolutely no decline between the first day and this evening, when we finished the bottle. As such, I believe this wine has lots of years remaining. Agree with other recent TNs. This wine is hard to surpass.
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9/21/2022 - Minnesota wrote: 86 Points
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.
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9/7/2022 - Papies wrote: 94 Points
Dinner at Pelagos, Astir Palace, Athens (Pelagos, Astir Palace, Athens): Tasted blind.
At the start while coldish the wine was more of a Rhône variety ( we guessed California Rhône Blend) but made in the US style but once it came to its own the notes were definitely of an oaky Chardonnay albeit a harmonious balance of oak and depth of flavour from the wine. 15yr young wine, lots of life ahead too. 94-95
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7/10/2022 - HRwines Likes this wine:
This is still killing it with a classic chard nose, although leaning now towards an apple pie note. Amazing lemon curd cream on the palate with a hint of petrol mid-palate, and I would say that the acid intensity isn’t there (but with this style, was it ever?). Completely enjoyable bottle.
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4/21/2022 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 98 Points
Light yellow, beautifully balanced and elegant
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3/23/2022 - ricardito Likes this wine: 98 Points
Bottle purchased on release from Marcassin and stored at sub 10 degrees Celsius since delivery. Bright yellow with nose of intense ripe Saturn peach and lemon curd. Explosive Ataulfo mango and Ambrosia apple on the palate with a slap of lemon at the lengthy back end. The nose and palatal presence is off the charts, but the most impressive feature of this wine is the incredible viscosity, reminiscent of most DRC Montrachet vintages at a similar age-Wow! To put this in perspective, I have been purchasing from the Aubert Chardonnay mailing list since 2004, and this bottle slays any of those many bottlings, which is no small feat ! This is my new gold standard for New World Chardonnay and the best I have ever had to date!
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2/4/2022 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 96 Points
Awesome, sublime, aged, lemon juice yellow, has ripe mango, marzipan, honey and buttery toast without being oaky. Best just cool. Had over 4 nights, Pivot worked well.
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11/25/2021 - bsbrown05 Likes this wine: 99 Points
Hard to surpass this profound Chardonnay.
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10/30/2021 - slywka7 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Poured from a Coravin’d bottle. Aromas of hazelnut, papaya, crushed rock, lemon oil and hint of mango. Flavors of mango, papaya, pineapple, lemon pie and macadamia nut. Ends with a great 50-55 second finish with tropical fruit notes. Still going strong with no signs of decline.
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8/1/2021 - rosenst1 wrote: 95 Points
PnP. Very tight cork needed to use the Durand to extract it. Slightly cloudy Medium deep yellow. Very viscous given the legs. Clean nose with orchard fruits and a touch of tropical with some marzipan iike notes. On the palate this is wonderful; deep fruit but balanced with high acid and a very long finish. Not sure its up with the previous bottles at age 13 but wonderful. One of the most unctuous Marcassin Chards in my experience but not at all flabby. Great wine.
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7/2/2021 - pjhr Likes this wine: 97 Points
Another world-class Marcassin chard! Went beautifully with pan seared walleye!
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12/28/2020 - rustyRudy wrote: flawed
Started off with way more reductive sulfur than my multiple previous bottles, it improved but never came around completely. Just an off bottle.😖😢☹️
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12/28/2020 - andrewdodd86 wrote: flawed
NR. Started super funky and reductive. Opened up and became drinkable. Still assuming it’s not a prime bottle so reserving judgment
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10/27/2020 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
Rich, lush, round, full and deep, the wine now leans to the honeysuckle, orange rind, apple, pear and vanilla side. The fruit-filled finish really lingers.
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8/8/2020 - bigneil Likes this wine: 97 Points
So good. At 12 years old it’s pretty amazing. Tastes like a caramel dipped apple that we used to make at Halloween. Acidity is still there but that intense. Great mouthfeel and long finish. Not sure how much more this will evolve but it’s holding up very well and it’s delicious now so I’m going to keep drinking
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5/22/2020 - eschaefer Likes this wine: 98 Points
It’s that good. Read any review. It’s true
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4/28/2020 - Melli wrote: 98 Points
Pretty amazing!
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1/1/2020 - Amerique wrote: 95 Points
Citrus fruit with caramel flavors showed a touch of age and were slightly diminished
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11/14/2019 - dcwino wrote: 94 Points
Double blind Cab based wine tasting (Eddie V's - Tysons Corner, VA): Youthful mineral driven nose displaying ripe yellow and white fruit, apple, pear, pineapple, lemon crud, smoked oyster, burnt sugar, spicy spices and wet stone. Excellent concentration, finely layered concentrated ripe yellow fruit, oily and rich but also cool and fresh, medium acidity, strong mineral and a long sweet yellow fruit driven finish with burnt sugar and spicy spices at the end. Although it is fresh and cool, there is noticeable heat at the end. A classic Marcassin so YMMV.
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11/14/2019 - pakabear Likes this wine: 96 Points
I do feel like this wine will vary in score depending on my mood, I pretty much have the same tasting note as last time, but this time I found it maybe a little over the top sweet and candy like. It's still mind-blowing as not much tastes like this, if anything.
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10/10/2019 - jlgnml wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful color, good balance yet alcohol was prominent. Good flavor, not stunning. Sell.
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9/2/2019 - KenK Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking very well with just a hint of butterscotch
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8/22/2019 - rosenst1 wrote: 96 Points
Stood upright for a day, chilled, then transported out to dinner in SF. PnP. Hazy medium gold. Fascinating nose of marzipan and tropical fruits. Rich and ripe on the palate but with enough acidity to keep it interesting. Superb intensity and a finish that lasts forever. This seemed to improve with air rather than falling apart; perhaps just past its peak but still one of the best new world Chards I've tasted.
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8/6/2019 - shaferguy91 wrote: 91 Points
Not as good as in the past. Near the end. Maybe.
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7/20/2019 - mflesh wrote: 91 Points
Had the chance to taste this one blind alongside 2012 and 2013 Point Rouge Peter Michael Chardonnays. In my opinion, very similar styled. However, this one was definitely showing signs of decline. Butterscotch and lots of it. Seemed to be Full tilt to that side, along with some herbal influence. I was getting some aged brioche but again this was just trapped underneath a gigantic dome of butterscotch. The entire flavor profile of the wine seemed to be muted by that one particular note. I am not sure if this bottle was tainted necessarily, or if these are just starting to show a little bit of bottle variation? I would drink now if you have these.
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6/7/2019 - Neecies Likes this wine:
Stellar. Slightly cloudy (unfiltered) yellow with rich stone fruit, yellow Opal apple and a touch of wet cement. Fully ready but no rush.
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6/7/2019 - dbkitc wrote: 99 Points
(at Petite Louis - Baltimore) Easily the best bottle of white wine I have ever had from NA. This is the essence of Marcassin only amplified and integrated. Almost hard to believe a wine with such intensity could be so balanced. So long - extraordinary. (99)
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4/7/2019 - pakabear Likes this wine: 99 Points
My last bottle of this, an incredible Chard from anywhere, incredible intense yet perfectly balanced, lemon, butterscotch, lemon bars with powdered sugar, pear, lychee, some cream and butter with a great striking minerality running through out. Love it. Drank great as a PnP, no reason to wait. Some crystals on the cork and neck so the tannins are starting to diminish.
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11/10/2018 - dcwino wrote: 95 Points
2018 Villa d’Este Wine Symposium – Kelly, RJ, Justin and Kevin's excellent adventure; 11/7/2018-11/11/2018 (Villa D’este, Lake Como): Nicely balance nose displaying ripe yellow fruit, pineapple dominates, also apple pie, crème brulee, sweet and spicy spices and crushed rocks. Excellent concentration, concentrated ripe oily yellow fruit, dense and deeply toned, medium acidity and strong mineral and a long pineapple and spicy spices driven finish. Very Marcassin so Caveat Emptor. Drinking beautifully, absolutely no reason to wait!
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9/8/2018 - Burgnick wrote: 89 Points
It was served blind to me. Nose resembled a burgundy with white chocolate, citrus and minerals. The ripeness and oak on th palate gave away to the new world identity. Rich and fat. Not my style of white.
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9/4/2018 - dbkitc wrote: 97 Points
Glorious bottle decanted an hour in advance. Murky gold color. Ripe apricot skin and wildflower honey nose. Zippy and a touch prickly due to unbelievable intensity. Palate is rich and viscous but so full of flavor. Serious stuff. Heavy but just brilliant for this style. (97)
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6/22/2018 - galewskj wrote: 93 Points
Guys night - You know the drill: Pop and pour, and we let it warm up a tad from refrigerator temperature. This is a burly and bold chardonnay. It is big, and there is oak, and a lot of fruit. There is, surprisingly, a saline almost chablis quality to the NOSE, but the palate only has a whisper of limestone to it. Rather, the palate is a whack by a 2x4 made of oak and wrapped in butterscotch. Smoky, ash, limestone, and a really big mouthfeel. I truly enjoyed this wine, as noted by my score, but must admit that it surpasses my threshold of acceptability for how big, oaked and ripe a chardonnay should be. At least one person at the table liked it less than me, and one person at the table was very vocal at how amazing this wine was. For sure, it is a wine worth drinking.
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6/20/2018 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Make it Count (Jason P's, St. Paul, MN): Light gold color. Drank 1 glass over 45 minutes. The nose starts with pure butterscotch, giving way to grilled pear, and oak spice. I found the nose intriguing at first, but seemed to become a bit odd after about 20 minutes as it warmed. The palate was also dominated at first by butterscotch with pear, oak spice, creme brulee, wood, vanilla, and there is some heat coming through as it warms. The nose does show some nice minerality about 30 minutes in. Overall, I found this better a bit colder and when it was first poured. Always fun and interesting to taste, not to mention enjoyable, but it never truly rocks me the way some others are.
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5/29/2018 - gondrik wrote: 90 Points
This bottle was not at its prime; seemed tired. It had all the usual attributes of its family but not shining.
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3/31/2018 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 95 Points
Bright yellow. Rich ripe tropical fruit and honeysuckle notes. Well balanced with loads of minerality and bright acidity. One of the better white wines we’ve has so far this year- always a crowd pleaser.
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12/30/2017 - pjhr Likes this wine: 98 Points
Wonderful fruit and floral notes on the nose and palate with silky smooth texture and oaky notes culminating in a long evolving finish.
Paired beautifully with King crab legs.
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10/30/2017 - jclary Likes this wine: 100 Points
Now we are talking. I saw another note that described this as a white silk robe, and that is spot on. This is such a complete wine, with beautiful viscosity and mouthfeel. Drinking perfectly, but seems to have a very long life ahead of it. Paired with Lobster salad, which was an ideal combination.
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10/22/2017 - dcwino wrote: 96 Points
Big 50 lunch (Mi Casa): Very mineral driven nose displaying ripe yellow fruit, pineapple, lemon curd, a hint of crème brulee, burnt sugar and sweet spices. There is a hint of heat at the end. Excellent concentration, very steely mineral, pineapple and sweet spices driven palate impression, bright acidity and a long decadent yellow fruit driven finish with a hint of alcohol at the end. The mineral presence is impressive. If you have low tolerance for alcohol or ripeness, this is not for you. This is an excellent modern style Domestic Chardonnay.
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7/16/2017 - pjhr Likes this wine: 97 Points
Another world-class Marcassin chard! Went beautifully with a grilled Sea Bass!
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6/29/2017 - nywine68 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Spectacular wine. At perfect drinking age. Buttery but without being heavy at all. Beautifully nuanced flavors with some tropical fruit and judicious use of oak. This is what great Cali Chardonnay is all about.
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6/29/2017 - rcg62 Likes this wine: 99 Points
Throwing around scores tonight (tasted with 82 La Miss, rated98). But total WOW wine. Drinking great, was a bit surprised. Great straw to pale yellow color, definitely looks unfiltered. Nose pops with butter, citrus and white wildflower. But incredible palate, as good as Chardonnay gets. Orange marmalade, honeysuckle, mango. It's the real deal. Have to think it's at end of peak, but terrific today.
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5/18/2017 - Bigtuna wrote: 90 Points
Needed 2 hours to open, but this bottle never performed to expectations. Over-oaked, not well balanced. As I read other notes, I am wondering if we are tasting the same wine. Disappointing 90
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3/13/2017 - tp096255 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Best Chard ever, EVER. See my note from 6/1/2013 for the wine's flavor profile, which hasn't changed. What has changed is that there is no longer any raw/leesy edge. It's just a white silk robe now. I noted someone else talked about the crystals in the wine. I had the same experience last night. Perhaps it was the precipitation of the tartaric acid out of the wine that gave it such a smooth glide on the tongue. I can't be sure. What I am sure of is that this is the highest score I have ever given to any wine, white or red. I am loathe to ever score a wine 100 points because what if something more amazing comes along?!? If any wine was worthy of 100 points in my life, it would be this one. I have had three bottles now over the past 4 years and it just improves every time.
It seems to be at its peak so I wouldn't hold these bottles any longer for fear they could decline. Maybe they wont for a few years, but why risk it when you are this close to perfection?
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1/1/2017 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 94 Points
Another terrific bottle. Ripe unctuous fruit- apricot and honeysuckle flavors. A bit of a caramelized butter on the smooth finish. Extremely complex and balanced.
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12/31/2016 - Amerique wrote: 97 Points
This unearthly wine!
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12/24/2016 - pakabear Likes this wine: 98 Points
First thing to notice was the large amount of titrate crystals on the cork, that usually does affect the tannins in the wine. Great nose, tropical fruits, sea shells, quince, sweet spices, impeccable balance, creamy palate, pear juice, fruit cup, salty blue stone and a bit of heat on the tail end. The tannins have dissipated a lot, probably due to the formation of the titrate crystals.
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12/23/2016 - dlcass Likes this wine: 96 Points
Needed time to open up. Not as much acid or mineral quality as I'd like. Nose of cotton candy, butterscotch, baked pineapple. Full mouth feel; slightly syrupy- but in a good way. Voluptuous. Perhaps my score is not as high as the past due to my evolving palate. But, I'm not sure what will be gained by waiting longer now.....
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11/12/2016 - BuzzzzOff Likes this wine: 95 Points
Our friend visited with his family for a sip 'n snack birthday month event. Followed very nicely after 1999 Champagne Alfred Gratien Brut. Golden, yellowish-grown. The first sister was elegant on the eye. Aromas of vibrant blend of citrus, burnt caramel and toasted almonds. Very, very inviting on the nose...someone needs to make a perfume with that smell! The ultimate second sister!!! Palate was buttery, vanilla cream with a hint too much acidity. A bit too perky third sister, but we waited a little to ensure she acted appropriately. Yes, we think this wine needs another year or two of cellaring before hitting on all cylinders. 97+ in the future!!!
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10/23/2016 - Amerique wrote: 96 Points
Spectacular wine! Rich, delicious, full-bodied citrus fruit with mineral, butterscotch, caramel flavors, excellent structure, long finish
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9/23/2016 - D.Callahan Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent Chardonnay. The nose was a bit restrained and the palate precise and not overdone. No sign of oak or butter/caramel, not that I don't appreciate those flavors. This reminded me of a slightly riper Burgundy.
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7/30/2016 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine: 96 Points
Dinner at Galletto's (Modesto): Had alongside the 02...the 08 was a little cloudy and lighter than the amazing 02! Lot of fresh citrus acidity brightens up the med rich fruits...wonderful flavors of toasted marshmallow, honey butter bread, exotic wood spice....good dose of minerality...chalk dust, crushed rocks...pretty florals and some flint strike. Super wine today...but after seeing what the 02 turned into....the few more years of age should do even more wonders for this wine. +pts
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5/5/2016 - B Paul wrote: 95 Points
Needed about an hour of air for some of the oak/toast to dissipate, but once it did this was fantastic. I find myself drinking less and less of this type of Chardonnay, but when I'm in the mood for this style Marcassin is hard to beat. Drink or hold.
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9/4/2015 - rcg62 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Beautiful pale yellow straw color. Nose has some butter and honey, with tropical fruit that came out as it sat in the glass. Fairly light and subtle, but so beautiful. And the flavor lingers for a minute. Drinking perfectly with plenty of life left. And got better as opened.
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8/21/2015 - dcwino wrote: 96 Points
Viking dinner at RJs - 96 Salon, 09 Coche CC, 01 Rousseau, 06 CSS, 06 Masseto, 01 D'Yquem and etc. (Reston, Va): Another excellent showing even for a Francophile. Despite ripe yet big, this displays exceptional balance. Expressive nose displaying ripe yellow fruits, lemon curd and pineapple, saline, mineral and sweet spices. Excellent concentration, unctuous, nicely layered fruits, mineral, bright acidity and lovely long finish with a hint of alcohol at the end. This is an exceptional domestic Chardonnay.
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8/15/2015 - KenK Likes this wine: 97 Points
Consistent with last bottle, this stuff is truly amazing and drank with Florida wine friends in for weekend and this tied for the groups WOTN with 2002 Shafer HSS. Other notable competitors were SQN 2012 Stock, 2010 Shafer HSS, and 2007 OVID, among others. This may be the best Cali Chard I have ever tasted. A true WOW wine for both the elite and the novice. I can't stop myself from opening these!
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8/6/2015 - dcwino wrote: 96 Points
Mostly French dinner - Rayas, 00 Lafite, 13 Trump, H Lignier CDR and etc. (The Grill Room at Capella Hotel Georgetown): This once again displays incredible balance for such a big scale wine. Expressive nose displaying pure white fruits, pear, lemon, pineapple, saline, mineral and smoke. Excellent concentration, big and chewy but nice overall balance, bright acidity and lovely long clean refreshing finish. For my palate, a hint of heat at the end but not terribly bothersome. Greg and I agree that this is the wine to serve to your date who is into wine but not really into wine as a couple extra bases is almost gawr-On-tee! My apologies in advance if the statement offends anyone.
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7/22/2015 - KenK Likes this wine: 97 Points
Maybe as good as Cali chard gets. Lush rich dense aromas of sweet ripe yellow fruits with vanilla bean oil. Big concentrated fruit forward flavored that coat the mouth with superb minerality and complexity. a waxy floral essence adds a layer of intrigue. Some lychee nut and citrus create nice freshness and add some zip. A true wow wine.
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6/28/2015 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 96 Points
1500 Parker Points of Wines (GHT): The nose is smoky with nice lemon cream. Pretty creamy texture. Very smooth. It has a lot of ripe/sweet fruit on it but it worked well with a cheese tray. A little more acidity was needed for my tastes, but I could see a lot of people swooning over this one.
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2/21/2015 - MikeATL wrote: 85 Points
Death by Lobster (Four Seasons Hotel, Atlanta): Big and intense, it has complexity, but it's hard to tell where the fruit ends and the wood begins. It gets tiring to drink pretty quickly.
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1/2/2015 - D.Callahan Likes this wine: 96 Points
Fantastic wine that needs to breathe a bit before consumption, An hour or two decant opens it up beautifully. Wonderful tropical fruit and floral on the nose. The body gives you that rich, deep palate with some smoke, added to the flower and fruit essences balanced by some decent acidity and enough mineral flavors to keep everything humming along. Just a stupendous wine that is so smooth and rich you can't get enough of it.
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10/17/2014 - bustercellar wrote: 98 Points
An amazing chardonnay. Hints of smokiness (smoked salmon as the other reviewer suggests?) then as it opened everything you would want from a great one. Great nose, tropical fruits, acidity, long finish. This takes me back to the first Chalone I had in 1980.
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9/23/2014 - rosenst1 wrote: 97 Points
Chilled for a couple of hours but not taken through the careful Marcassin protocol to clarify the wine. Initially, huge but quite tight. Over an hour or two this blossomed and just kept getting better with a hugh tropical fruit nose, balancing acidity, and a finish that went on forever. Amazing wine and a benchmark even in comparison to other Marcassin - one comment: Corton Charlemagne on steroids...
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8/17/2014 - Kemo Sabe wrote: 95 Points
Just incredible. What else can be said. Dont think I have rated but one white wine higher than this. As good as it gets. Amazing purity and freshness. I've had this twice now and the rest will sit for a LONG time. This is very age worthy. But had to try a couple now. 95+ and could go higher.....
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7/20/2014 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com Likes this wine: 96 Points
The wine looks yellow gold colored. The legs are slow. It smells like pineapple, lemon and chrysanthemum. It tastes like mineral. The body is full. The wine has polished texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity. Parker says Chardonnay of the Decade!
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6/22/2014 - BinVA Likes this wine: 96 Points
One hell of a gift, so well balanced.
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5/22/2014 - dcwino wrote: 97 Points
New World Dinner at the Capital Grille Tysons (Capital Grille, Tysons, VA): I am not a big fan of Marcassin but this is exceptional. Noticeable smoke, kinda crazy but reminds me smoked Ankimo/uni, really creamy butter, smoked fish, saline, mineral and lemon. Excellent concentration but remains balanced, mineral and fresh. The best Marcassin I have drunk.
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4/3/2014 - michael47 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Jostled in transit to dinner so was a little cloudly. Lovely chard showing no signs of age. Nose was appley, with toast, tropical fruit. Smooth and luscious in the mouth with layers of sweet fruit - while not flabby it was not as acidic as I expected. Expensive.
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3/7/2014 - dlcass Likes this wine: 99 Points
Amazing!! Amazing aromatics of toasted mascarpone, persimmon. Great mouth feel and finish. I would love to see how this will continue to evolve. Wait 5 years for next try.
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10/28/2013 - mjf@ulkner Likes this wine: 96 Points
Beautiful tropical aromatics. A very unique flavor profile for a Chardonnay- almost Northern Rhone with its complex layered flavor structure. Nice honeysuckle and ripe apricot notes on the long finish. This was very, very good, and made an excellent pairing with a fresh poached Ono. One of our highest rated wines of 2013.
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10/26/2013 - slywka7 Likes this wine: 99 Points
Syrah and Grenache at Blackstone Steakhouse (Blackstone Steakhouse Norwalk CT.): Super excited to try my first Marcassin Chardonnay. This started off a little shy, as the wine was too cold from sitting in an ice bucket. Once it warmed up I got some mineral, lemon and toast on the very elegant nose. I didn''t know quite to expect when I tasted this based on that but this was just an enormous wine. Waves of favor just hit the palate with lemon, butter, marshmallow, with a finish that lasts well over a minute. A total shock to your palate if your not ready for it as not too many producers make Chardonnay's this rich. Looking forward to opening some more.
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10/19/2013 - canan wrote: 98 Points
30th Birthday - Bordeaux Wine (1983) (Le Sommelier, Copenhagen): Lovely deep nose filled with exotic fruits, toothpaste and butter. It is very intense and has a toasted note to it.
Hugely intense palate with a lovely deep fruit, coffee and a lot of different spices. A long and spicy aftertaste with some toasty notes.
The palate is packed with popcorn and a lot of complexity.
At the moment it perhaps lacks a little acidity but it could change with time.
A great wine.
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10/7/2013 - pakabear Likes this wine: 98 Points
This was truly amazing, much better than the first time I had this when it was recently shipped. It could be confused blind with a Montrachet in a hot year given the higher sugar levels. Huge complexity, loads of minerals, quince, liche, granny smith apple skins and some citrus components on the attack. Great acidity but not over the top. This is top notch.
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8/31/2013 - jshufelt wrote: 94 Points
An anniversary dinner and a couple of wines (Marea, NYC): In the glass, pale yellowish-white. On the nose, a mix of honeysuckle, orange peel, and petrol. On the palate, a mystifyingly light, ethereal blend of floral notes, citrus, clove, butterscotch, and more honeysuckle. Is this really chardonnay? If I had tasted this blind, I would have guessed Guigal La Doriane. Dead ringer for a high-end viognier, not at all what I was expecting. But quite beguiling and delicious nonetheless. I have no idea where this is going from here.
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8/23/2013 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very good, but lacked the acidity or complexity of the Three Sisters Which we enjoyed @ Fish & Game, Hudson,NY 2 weeks ago.
I did have a problem with the cork, and had to push the remainder into the bottle, and decanted. I don't believe it affected the wine.
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8/20/2013 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
I still prefer the 2007, even with all the vanilla, citrus, stone and fresh grapefruit notes going on. The wine is rich, silky, long and balanced, but at least for today, the 2007 seems to offer more of an exotic quality. Regardless, both are about as good as California Chardonnay gets.
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6/23/2013 - shadow wrote: 100 Points
Start with a careful decant, unfiltered, there is sediment
Wow, wow, wow, everyone tock a sip, and wow.
Fun to hear fellow wine geeks get excited about a white.
What vintage, shit this is good.
I did not say this is a hundred point wine.
I poured it from a decanter blind.
After hearing all the wow's, I sniffed, wow, what a nose.
Unbelaviable, how does a white wine omit this fragrance.
First sip, down the hatch.
This is one of those, WTF wines.
I knew what it was, expecting another ya, that's nice, never expected a holy shit moment.
Helen, you raised the bar.
This is chard on crack.
Pears, apricots, smooth pleasure, pure decadence into your mouth.
Mashed grape, a seductive force, this wine needs a warning label.
I can't describe it.
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6/1/2013 - tp096255 Likes this wine: 96 Points
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COLOR: Slightly cloudy honey-gold (though I decanted extremely carefully on its side). I think this needs a few more years for the lees to autolyse and drop out. That may enhance the experience and could lead to a higher score.
NOTE: Wow, this is an elixir of striking depth and beauty. It is in the same company as the 2005 Shibumi Knoll and 2008 Aubert Reuling and could perhaps surpass them. It is hard to find a flaw in this. Maybe just a hint of leesy rawness between the mouth and finish, and just a tinge of overt oakiness in the nose.
However, I'm just nitpicking here. This delivers on all aspects. The nose is a mélange of perfectly toasted marshmallow, citrus oils, Madagascar vanilla bean, crème fraiche. The nose obviously gets more complex as it warms up in the glass. Eventually some honeysuckle (and jasmine?) show up for the party. It's very complex.
Then the mouth, oh what a mouth! This is opulent, unctuous, voluptuous, corpulent, glycerin-driven, whatever you want to call it. It's like a hard citrus candy dissolving in your mouth. No heat anywhere, just a prominent lemon oil base buttressed by sweet cream butter, cooked scone, even a hint of cornbread (weird, never experienced that before in any white). White peach shows up after a couple hours. The finish is 45+ seconds long and echoes much of the mouth, but there are distinct impressions of the finish as well, especially the white flowers. It just has such a lovely balance. I was planning on selling my remaining bottles if this was just another over-rated Chard, but I think I'm keeping my last 3. This is special-occasion juice, not to be missed.
Between 2-3 hours the finish seems to yield a sweet glycerin that is absolutely addicting. It's a dry wine obv, but that sweet fruit is amazing.
Another interesting thing is that this had little dingleballs sticking all around the edge of the cork bottom, like amber droplets. They didn't look like tartaric acid crystals, but were amber/beige and opaque. One dropped off into the decanter and never dissolved. Never seen this before in any wine, white or red.
DECANT: 0-3 hours
GLASS USED: Sommelier Montrachet
TASTE: 9.6-
OTHER:
COST: 129
VALUE: 8.0 (because it's so darn good)
PREVIOUSLY TASTED: n/a
TRY AGAIN: 2014 - 2020
PAIRING: nothing.
Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net
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5/5/2013 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
Packed and stacked with layers of ripe citrus, lemon rind, vanilla, stone and flowers, this was is intense, mouth filling and rich. Yet, everything is in balance and focused. The long finish continues for at least 40 seconds. Popped and poured, the wine softened and came together with 30 minutes of air. At this stage, I prefer the 2007, but with another year or 2 in the bottle, the results could be quite different.
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4/16/2013 - Blake Brown Likes this wine: 94 Points
This syrupy thick viscus wine is loaded with multiple flavors which are pleasing, but it is the almost molasses texture that stands out along with all it carries to the back end; there`s certainly good acidity and a plethora of maple, apple, butterscotch and stone fruit notes; I`ve had quite a few Marcassin chards that have not impressed that much; this was not one of them; eye opening.
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