2004 Marcassin, Marcassin Vineyard Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast [Torn Label]

2004 Marcassin - Wine Advocate #180 - Dec 2008: Utterly profound, the 2004 Pinot Noir Marcassin Estate has a deep plum/ruby/purple-tinged color and a sweet nose of black raspberries, roasted meats, forest aromas, soy, and fresh mushrooms. Layered and multi-dimensional, with sweet but noticeable tannin, and broad, intense flavors, this is a stunning wine that should drink nicely for a decade or more. Marcassin Estate continues to grow, although still ever so tiny, with just over 20 acres of tightly spaced vineyards on the Sonoma Coast. They also supplement their estate bottlings with purchased fruit from vineyards owned by the Martinelli family which they help manage, the Three Sisters Vineyard for Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir from the Blue Slide Vineyard. Their dominant Chardonnay clones continue to be based on the old Wente clones taken from the Hudson and Hyde Vineyards, and the Mt. Eden clone. The Pinot Noir material is dominated by California heritage clones. Little changes under the firms leadership of Helen Turley and her husband John Wetlaufer (now married 42 years), and as someone raised in Maryland, I am proud to say they were schooled at the renowned St. Johns College in Annapolis, Maryland. They have always been committed to the highest quality of wines possible. It is akin to being tutored by a great master to sit down and taste through their series of Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs. They added a few wrinkles this time by throwing into the tasting a 2005 Domaine Leflaive Batard-Montrachet, which was completely obliterated by their own Chardonnays, and with the Pinot Noirs, a highly rated grand cru red Burgundy from the 2005 vintage that didn't fare particularly well either. Their point was that not only are their wines superior (and I would certainly agree with these comparisons), but also that some of the most famous names in Burgundy have more sizzle and snobbery behind them than actual quality. The Pinot Noirs are very complex and need lots of aeration/decanting to strut their stuff. They continue to remind me of grand crus from Morey St.-Denis, especially wines such as Ponsots Clos de la Roche because of the following.