2007 Marcassin Estate Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast, Bottle (750ml)

RP99+ “A staggering Chardonnay that’s still an infant, the light yellow/green/gold 2007 offers up notes of unbuttered popcorn, orange liqueur, lemon butter, quince and crushed rocks. It possesses terrific underlying acidity, a full-bodied mouthfeel and a youthfulness and freshness that suggest this wine has two decades of life ahead of it. This majestic Chardonnay seems more French than Californian, but again, this reflects the significance of the labor of these two overachieving, push-the-envelope visionaries. What California viticulture and high-class, minimalist winemaking can achieve is exhibited in bold fashion by this 2007. It will hit its prime in 5-7 years, and appears to be a replay of the 2002 stylistically as well as for its overall potential.” RP Jun 2012
Marcassin Estate Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast

"It was great to see Helen Turley finally make the cover of the Wine Spectator in 2010 after twenty years of this brilliant, artisanal operation being largely ignored. Readers will not find anyone more knowledgeable about viticulture and winemaking than the husband and wife team of Helen Turley and John Wetlaufer. While much of the article’s focus is on how many top wineries Helen Turley once served as a consultant, their long term goal was always to be completely independent of any consulting jobs, focusing solely on their own vineyard. As I reported last year, there will no longer be any Pinot Noir from the Blue Slide Vineyard or Chardonnay from the Three Sisters Vineyard (both sites owned by the well-known Martinelli family in the Russian River). However, there will be more Marcassin Estate wines as they now have 20 acres under vine on the steep hillsides of the Sonoma Coast. Both Turley and Wetlaufer were among the first in California to try and emulate the full malolactic style found in most French white Burgundies." RP Feb 2011