Country: | United States |
Regions: | California California (Sonoma County) |
Winery: | Marimar Estate |
Grape Type: | Chardonnay |
Vintage: | 2015 |
Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
Chakana is the name of the Southern Cross constellation. Its rotation in the sky throughout the year made it an effective agricultural calendar for the ancient Andean people.
Estate Chardonnay is from Chakana's Altamira vineyard (3,200 ft elevation).
Yellow color with green hints. Deep and clean aromas of pineapple, toasty notes and a fresh mineral character and finish. A good body, dense and lively on the palate.
Dark and deep with a hue of deep bright ruby red. Intense and complex bouquet of red cherry and blackberry intermixed with notes of minerals (graphite, wet river rocks), licorice, fresh blond tobacco and a hint of fresh blackcurrant. Full bodied, the palate is reminiscent of the nose, with a richly tannic yet round frame and with an outstanding finesse. The tannins from both bench and foothill locations create a harmonious ensemble, leading to a long, seamless and elegant finish. Built to age for decades, this collectible wine will open up after a few years of cellaring and is particularly representative of this special side of St. Helena. Morlet Estate features the interaction of the loamy, well drained and rocky volcanic soil, the typical sunny mountain climate and the low-interventionistic Morlet winemaking approach.
Review:
More masculine, backward, and austere, with a Chateau Latour-like character, the 2015 Morlet Estate gives up darker fruits, crushed rock, and ample lead pencil-like notions to go with a full-bodied, concentrated, structured feel on the palate. With building tannin and obvious minerality, it’s going to handsomely reward patience.
Jeb Dunnuck 96+ Points
Paul Hobbs George Menini Estate Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Located on the southwestern edge of the Russian River Valley appellation in an area known as the Sebastopol Hills, this Chardonnay from George Menini Estate displays pale straw in color and boasts an elixir of white and yellow florals, tart yellow apple, bartlett pear, and baking spice. A precise yet supple wine with notes of juicy Gravenstein apple, vibrant sea salt, and crushed rock, complemented by a cool-climate zing of acidity. An impressive level of complexity for a young vineyard.
Review:
The 2021 Chardonnay George Menini Estate, matured for nine months in 27% new oak, is notably perfumed and energetic. The nose segues from iodine and saline to tones of panna cotta, lilac and yuzu, and the palate is stunning with its pairing of highly concentrated, layered flavors and fireworks of fresh acidity. It has a touch of anchoring textural grip, shimmery mineral character and a very long, expressive finish. It will be very long-lived in bottle
-Wine Advocate 97 Points
Sinor-LaVallee Estate Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Sinor-LaVallee Chardonnay reflects a maniacal attentiveness only possible through sole proprietorship from viticulture through winemaking. The aim was to create a singular Chardonnay that expresses the totality of Bassi Ranch’s ultra-coastal terroir.
The wine Chardonnay offers fragrant aromas of tropical fruit with notes of butterscotch, apricot and crème brûlée. The palate is rich and viscous, yet never loses its energy or focus. Flavors of pear, pineapple and peach show trailing notes of vanilla, mineral and spice. A luscious, full-bodied mid palate yields to a sense of balanced sleekness on the finish.
Richly aromatic with notes of white fig, and citrus blossom, this captivating Chardonnay slowly builds on the palate, progressing from silky notes of honeydew, nectarine, and lemon zest to a full finish supported by elegant, toasted oak. Crisp minerality and juicy acidity lift and support the generous fruit and provide the framework for graceful aging. This wine will continue to gain richness and complexity in the bottle and glass.
Review:
A creamy texture carries lush, ripe tropical fruits, ample butter and toast nuances in this bold, full-bodied wine. The layering of baked apples, vanilla, Bartlett pears and almonds is impressive and delicious.
-Wine Enthusiast 94 Points
Lismore Chardonnay Reserve made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
A careful selection of the best of the vintage that exemplifies the extraordinary terroir of Lismore. This Reserve Chardonnay shows intense citrus, stone fruit, jasmine and walnut layered with honey and vanilla carried by a distinct minerality and crisp acidity with a lingering citrus finish.
Wine Made in the Soil
The vineyards are planted in decomposed shale over clay at 300 meters in the foothills of the Sonderend Mountain Range. A low mean February temperature lends to an extended ripening period that can put harvest 3-4 weeks later than traditional wine growing regions in South Africa. The intense citrus notes and the lingering finish are consistent trademarks of Lismore's specific terroir. The restrained minerality of the Chardonnay is a clear indication of the cool climate in which it is grown.
Wine of Origin "Greyton" has been designated by SAWIS recognizing the special terroir of this region.
Delightful with warm curries which lift the aromatics or a traditional pairing of smoked salmon highlighting the fresh acidity.
Review:
"The 2021 Chardonnay Estate Reserve is 100% from Greyton matured for 11 months in 500-litre barrels, 40% new. It has a wonderful bouquet with honeydew melon, apricot blossom and light crushed stone scents that percolate through with time. The palate is very well balanced with tropical hints of passion fruit and guava, but the acidity keeps everything on a tight course, very minerally on the finish. Top class.- Neal Martin"
- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (September 2022), 94 pts
Acero is the Spanish word for steel and refers to the fact that this wine has never seen any oak.
In the classic style of Acero, this bottling displays lively bright fruit, fresh and vibrant, with lemon zest and floral notes of star jasmine in the nose. Crisp and steely on the palate, multi-faceted, with verve, its minerality is enhanced by the dry, long finish.
The Marimar Estate
Exporting a Legacy To California
Nestled in the rolling hills of western Sonoma County, the Russian River/Green Valley appellation is a perfect microclimate for growing Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Only 10 miles from the Pacific Ocean and 50 miles north of San Francisco, the site is influenced by the sea's cooling breezes and drifting fog. That is why Marimar Torres selected this privileged location to "export" the Torres family legacy of fine wines to California.
A Catalan Farmhouse-Winery
Built in 1992 with a capacity of 15,000 cases, the winery sits on a hill surrounded by vines. The production wing is outfitted with carefully selected equipment, to allow the control essential to producing a wine based on minimal handling. Its three barrel rooms with independent temperature and humidity controls provide flexibility to experiment with various vinification techniques, in order to best express the fruit's character.
The Marimar Vineyard
The Don Miguel Vineyard: A Unique Site
Marimar came to live in California in 1975. After two years of searching, she acquired the land and began planting the vineyard in 1986. Today there are 30 acres planted with Chardonnay and 30 with Pinot Noir. The wines are made entirely from estate-grown grapes. Named in honor of the late patriarch of the family, the vineyard is unique in California because it is totally European in style. The vines are trained very close to the ground on an open vertical trellis, following the slope of an east-facing hillside; the rootstocks are phylloxera resistant; and the planting density is 2000 vines per acre, four times more than is traditional in California. Such high density promotes root competition and diminishes vigor, naturally reducing the output per vine.
Yields are low and labor is intensive, but the vines live longer and produce grapes with greater concentration of flavors, more refined and elegant aromas, and better balance. To contribute complexity, Marimar did extensive research to select several clones of each varietal: See, Rued and Spring Mountain for Chardonnay; and Cristina 88, Swan, Pommard, Lee, Dijon 115 and Dijon 667 for Pinot Noir. Each clone brings different attributes to the final blend, resulting in wines with deep layers of flavor
Laurent-Perrier Cuvee Rose NV is made Pinot Noir from 10 crus in the Montagne de Reims
The Cuvée Rosé from Laurent-Perrier is the most recognized rosé champagne in the world. The house uses its proprietary maceration technique and the wine is crafted for a fragrance and not mixed for a color. Held in an elegant bottle inspired by King Henri IV, it has been widely acknowledged for its consistent high quality for more than 40 years, and it is the benchmark for rosé champagne around the world.
Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé is truly remarkable for its highly expressive bouquet, stemming from very careful preservation of fresh fruit aromas during the wine making. Made with 100% Pinot Noir from 10 different "crus " (or villages), from the North and South areas of the Montagne de Reims, as well as the famous village of Bouzy. Grapes from carefully selected plots are meticulously sorted and de-stemmed before going into the vats, and the controlled maceration helps with the color extraction and the development of the full aromatic richness of the Pinot Noir.
Intensely fruity flavors, clean and slightly sharp, the wine opens to the sensation of freshly picked red berries: strawberries, Morello cherries, black currants and raspberries. The finish is supple and rounded.
Its aromatic depth makes it ideal for pairing with marinated raw fish, grilled prawns, exotic dishes, Parma ham and red fruit desserts. Those who are more daring will try it with Asian or Indian cuisine.
Review:
Ethereal floral and raspberry nose. A vinous palate with a mild mousse, the soft texture all wrapped in spice, nuts, smoke and a superior berry tincture. Very long and easy to enjoy.
-Decanter 95 Points
Gaudrelle Clos de la Huppe Vouvray is made from 100% Chenin Blanc.
Gaudrelle Vouvray Clos de la Huppe is coming from a very specific vineyard called "Clos de la Huppe".
all the plowing and the work in the vineyard is done by hand with the help of a horse.
This wine is named after the Eurasian hoopoe, a bird species that enjoys our vineyards again since we got into more natural farming. Draft horse, manual harvesting, fermentation with indigenous yeasts and an 18-month aging on the lees make for a characterful and mineral wine.