2007 Marcassin, Marcassin Vineyard Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast

RP98+ "I had always believed the 2007 Pinot Noir was the finest Helen Turley and John Wetlaufer had produced at their Estate Vineyard, but after doing this vertical and seeing the performances of the 1998, 2002 and 2004, that belief rings somewhat hollow. The still young, incredible 2007 has all the potential needed to achieve a three-digit rating in a few years. A dense plum/purple color is followed by notes of subtle smoke, barbecue spice, blueberries, red and black currants, flowers, and a smoky meat-like character that I first compared to the aroma of Peking duck. There is something exotic about this full-bodied, dense 2007. Young and vibrant, it should hit its peak in 5-6 years, and last until 2030-2035. This world-class, prodigious Pinot Noir is probably better than 90% of the red Burgundies being produced."

Robert Parker writes, "All of these Pinot Noirs trend toward resembling grand crus from Morey-Saint-Denis in Northern Cotes de Nuits in Burgundy, given their forest floor, mushroom, sweet plum, currant and cherry notes. They are very sexy, lush and certainly capable of 10-15 years of cellaring, possibly longer." Published: Aug 27, 2015