Having worked at some of the greatest Napa wineries and subsequently forged a reputation as one of the region`s most formidable winemakers, Helen Turley founded her own tiny boutique winery, Marcassin, in 1991. The 2013 vintage oozes unctuous citrus and stone fruit, with butterscotch and honeycomb complexity.
Reviews:
- Wine Advocate: The 2013 Chardonnay Marcassin Vineyard may be even better. Notes of caramelized citrus, hazelnut, apple blossom, lemon oil and orange marmalade are all present in this wine of dazzling aromatic and flavor dimension. It is full-bodied, again shows some wet pebbles (which I equate with minerality), vibrant acidity, and no real evidence of any oak. Much like the 2012, the finish goes on for 45+ seconds. This is another killer Chardonnay from Helen Turley and John Wetlaufer.
Producer Information
Marcassin is a leading Sonoma Coast wine label owned by famous winemaker Helen Turley and her viticulturalist husband John Wetlaufer. Turley is one of the most influential winemakers in California, and has acted as a consultant for many of the region’s top estates, including Pahlmeyer and Peter Michael Winery.The estate is regarded as a benchmark producer of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and the wines are known for their rich opulent style and ageworthiness. A majority of the wines produced by Marcassin are exclusively released to members of the mailing list.In the winery, Chardonnay is pressed in whole bunches, while the Pinot Noir is destemmed and cold-soaked prior to fermentation with wild yeasts. Aging takes place in new French oak with no fining, filtering or cold stablization prior to bottling. The wines are then aged further in the cellar for around five years before release.
