1997 Marcassin Pinot Noir Marcassin Vineyard
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Tasting notes
Marcassin’s 1997 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast is without a doubt one of the most compelling wines I tasted in 2020. At 23 years of age, it has aged exquisitely. Sweet, perfumed and riveting in its beauty, the 1997 is utterly captivating from the moment it is first opened. A whole range of sweet red/purplish berry fruit, spice and floral notes emerges effortlessly. The purity of the flavors is just mesmerizing. The 1997 Sonoma Coast Pinot is a captivating wine by any measure. That it was made from third leaf fruit is even more remarkable. Then again, there are cases where vineyards give exceptional results from the very beginning. Another example is the 1978 Conterno Monfortino, which was made from vines planted in 1974. Readers who can find the 1997 Marcassin should not hesitate, as it is a historic and early example of what is possible on the Sonoma Coast. Moreover, it is an utterly dazzling wine that satisfies both the intellectual and hedonistic senses.
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Vibrant notes of freshly sauteed porcini mushrooms, roasted meats, Asian plum sauce, black currants and forest floor aromas jump from the glass of this wonderful, still surprisingly young and vibrant Pinot Noir. The last time I tasted the 1997 professionally was in August, 2002, when I thought the wine had closed down considerably. That is no longer the case. Currently strutting its stuff, it appears to be in late adolescence with another 10-15 years of life ahead of it.
Full deep red. Blackberry, blueberry, raspberry, mocha, brown sugar, earth and smoke on the nose; comes across as spicier today than the 2000 (see below). Very deep and chewy; sappy and spicy. Truly three-dimensional in texture. Finishes with noble tannins and superb persistence. My early look at the Marcassin 2000s from the Sonoma Coast, from vineyards planted by the Martinelli family to the specifications of Helen Turley and John Wetlaufer, as well as from Turley and Wetlaufer own Marcassion Vineyard site, turned up a spectacular set of young wines. In particular, the pinot noir from Marcassin Vineyard, with its extraordinary aromatic complexity and amazingly silky texture and depth of flavor, is potentially the best wine to date from this site, which may well make it the greatest pinot yet produced in America. However, it is premature to publish notes on these wines, as they will not be released until 2004.