2010 Marcassin Chardonnay Marcassin Vineyard

With a slightly smokier edge to the honeysuckle, poached pear, pineapple and caramelized citrus notes, the 2010 Chardonnay Marcassin Vineyard hits the palate with a full-bodied, thunderous affect of fruit, glycerin and acidity. The wine reveals some smoke in the aromatics, but little, if any, in the flavor profile. Full-bodied, lovely, and again, close to perfection (as so often these wines are), this is a beauty to drink over the next decade or more.

A wine of notable finesse and energy, Marcassin's 2010 Chardonnay Marcassin Vineyard is beautifully focused throughout. Lemon oil, white flowers, orange peel and chamomile are some of the many notes that flesh out in the glass. Overall, this is a fairly restrained style for Marcassin, with richness tempered by the marginal climate of the Sonoma Coast. In this vintage, the Marcassin Vineyard Chardonnay is clearly more interesting, complex and pedigreed than the Pinot. (AG)