The 2010 Chardonnay Three Sisters reveals plenty of candle wax, white currants, peaches, citrus oil and honeysuckle as well as the wet stony minerality that can be found both in the aromatics and flavor profile. It is full-bodied and likely to evolve for 8-10 years or longer. The visionary husband and wife team of John Wetlaufer and Helen Turley have created a largely unprecedented legacy of extraordinary quality that is unsurpassed by anyone else in Northern California. They have built a winery in Windsor, California in Sonoma Valley with 20 acres of vines situated high above the fog line, on the Sonoma Coast. They were among the first to recognize the extraordinary potential for world-class quality wine production on the Sonoma Coast. Their Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vines are planted at elevations between 800 and 1,400 feet. The plantings are either 5 x 8 or 3 x 6.5. The Chardonnay clonal material is dominated by Old Wente, but there are also selections from the Hyde, Mt. Eden, Dijon 95 and Dijon 76 clones. The Pinot Noir clonal material is dominated by the Calera selection, with some Old Swan that came via the old Martin Ray clone that came via Dehlinger and Kistler. The second part of their 20-acre vineyard was planted, at least for the Pinot Noir, largely with the Calera selection as well as the newer Dijon clones 777 and 667.The winemaking techniques are clearly artisanal and very Burgundian, although these Chardonnays tend to age better than most white Burgundies made since 1996. I tasted two vintages, the Three Sisters, which is a Martinelli-farmed vineyard from which they will no longer be using fruit, in addition to their profound estate vineyard. 2010 produced just over two tons of fruit per acre and was a vintage that appears to be slightly more intense and have a higher ceiling than 2009. Tel. (707) 942-5633

The 2009 Chardonnay Three Sisters comes from volcanic and sedimentary, fragmented soils. It exhibits the classic Old Wente clone nose of white peaches, damp stones, hints of apricot and brioche, and caramelized citrus. Medium to full-bodied and pure with underlying minerality and a nice layered mouthfeel, it should drink well for a decade. The visionary husband and wife team of John Wetlaufer and Helen Turley have created a largely unprecedented legacy of extraordinary quality that is unsurpassed by anyone else in Northern California. They have built a winery in Windsor, California in Sonoma Valley with 20 acres of vines situated high above the fog line, on the Sonoma Coast. They were among the first to recognize the extraordinary potential for world-class quality wine production on the Sonoma Coast. Their Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vines are planted at elevations between 800 and 1,400 feet. The plantings are either 5 x 8 or 3 x 6.5. The Chardonnay clonal material is dominated by Old Wente, but there are also selections from the Hyde, Mt. Eden, Dijon 95 and Dijon 76 clones. The Pinot Noir clonal material is dominated by the Calera selection, with some Old Swan that came via the old Martin Ray clone that came via Dehlinger and Kistler. The second part of their 20-acre vineyard was planted, at least for the Pinot Noir, largely with the Calera selection as well as the newer Dijon clones 777 and 667.The winemaking techniques are clearly artisanal and very Burgundian, although these Chardonnays tend to age better than most white Burgundies made since 1996. I tasted two vintages, the Three Sisters, which is a Martinelli-farmed vineyard from which they will no longer be using fruit, in addition to their profound estate vineyard. 2010 produced just over two tons of fruit per acre and was a vintage that appears to be slightly more intense and have a higher ceiling than 2009. Tel. (707) 942-5633

Like the 2007, the 2008 Chardonnay Three Sisters Vineyard reveals a greenish hue to its straw color. The wine is slightly more intense and powerful in the mouth with a profound depth of flavor and notes of white currants, unbuttered popcorn, hazelnuts and citrus blossom as well as a distinctive floral component and minerality. This compelling Chardonnay can be drunk over the next 10-15+ years. (Not yet released) It was great to see Helen Turley finally make the cover of the Wine Spectator in 2010 after twenty years of this brilliant, artisanal operation being largely ignored. Readers will not find anyone more knowledgeable about viticulture and winemaking than the husband and wife team of Helen Turley and John Wetlaufer. While much of the article’s focus is on how many top wineries Helen Turley once served as a consultant, their long term goal was always to be completely independent of any consulting jobs, focusing solely on their own vineyard. As I reported last year, there will no longer be any Pinot Noir from the Blue Slide Vineyard or Chardonnay from the Three Sisters Vineyard (both sites owned by the well-known Martinelli family in the Russian River). However, there will be more Marcassin Estate wines as they now have 20 acres under vine on the steep hillsides of the Sonoma Coast. Both Turley and Wetlaufer were among the first in California to try and emulate the full malolactic style found in most French white Burgundies. There is plenty of history to support what they are trying to accomplish. Wetlaufer, who was the wine buyer at the All Seasons Market in Calistoga, was a huge Burgundy fan at the time, and he formed a Burgundy tasting group with many other well-known winemakers. That gave him the opportunity to analyze both white and red Burgundies, and to get a detailed perspective of Burgundy. It is ironic that the Marcassin Chardonnays probably eclipse 98% of white Burgundies made today for their complexity and aging potential. While I have never been a believer in the ageworthiness of California Chardonnay vis a vis white Burgundy, all I have to do is go back and open a 1996 or 1995 Marcassin Chardonnay, which was then made from purchased fruit, to recognize how amazingly well their wines age. Readers have two spectacular vintages from Marcassin coming on the market – the 2007 and 2008 Chardonnays as well as the 2007 and 2006 Pinot Noirs. The 2008 Chardonnays are remarkable as well. There was no frost damage at the Marcassin estate because of the vineyard’s lofty elevation. Tel. (707) 258-3608; Fax (707) 942-5633

The 2007 Chardonnay Three Sisters Vineyard (a terrific site owned by the Martinelli family) reveals a straw color with a greenish hue (always a positive sign) and a wonderful citrus oil, lemon blossom and crushed rock-scented perfume with a subtle hint of oak as well as a distinctive minerality. Full-bodied with good acidity and superb purity, it should drink well for 10-15 years. It was great to see Helen Turley finally make the cover of the Wine Spectator in 2010 after twenty years of this brilliant, artisanal operation being largely ignored. Readers will not find anyone more knowledgeable about viticulture and winemaking than the husband and wife team of Helen Turley and John Wetlaufer. While much of the article’s focus is on how many top wineries Helen Turley once served as a consultant, their long term goal was always to be completely independent of any consulting jobs, focusing solely on their own vineyard. As I reported last year, there will no longer be any Pinot Noir from the Blue Slide Vineyard or Chardonnay from the Three Sisters Vineyard (both sites owned by the well-known Martinelli family in the Russian River). However, there will be more Marcassin Estate wines as they now have 20 acres under vine on the steep hillsides of the Sonoma Coast. Both Turley and Wetlaufer were among the first in California to try and emulate the full malolactic style found in most French white Burgundies. There is plenty of history to support what they are trying to accomplish. Wetlaufer, who was the wine buyer at the All Seasons Market in Calistoga, was a huge Burgundy fan at the time, and he formed a Burgundy tasting group with many other well-known winemakers. That gave him the opportunity to analyze both white and red Burgundies, and to get a detailed perspective of Burgundy. It is ironic that the Marcassin Chardonnays probably eclipse 98% of white Burgundies made today for their complexity and aging potential. While I have never been a believer in the ageworthiness of California Chardonnay vis a vis white Burgundy, all I have to do is go back and open a 1996 or 1995 Marcassin Chardonnay, which was then made from purchased fruit, to recognize how amazingly well their wines age. Readers have two spectacular vintages from Marcassin coming on the market – the 2007 and 2008 Chardonnays as well as the 2007 and 2006 Pinot Noirs. The 2008 Chardonnays are remarkable as well. There was no frost damage at the Marcassin estate because of the vineyard’s lofty elevation. Tel. (707) 258-3608; Fax (707) 942-5633

The 2006 Chardonnay Three Sisters Vineyard (700 cases) possesses a superb texture in addition to abundant amounts of popcorn, white currant, hazelnut, and tropical fruit blossom characteristics, superb purity as well as acidity, a full-bodied mouthfeel, and a beautiful finish. In a vintage that was challenging for many California Chardonnay producers, the Three Sisters and the 2006 Marcassin Estate Chardonnays stand out as candidates for “wines of the vintage.” Given the history of the vintage and the challenging conditions for Chardonnay, I would suspect these wines will evolve quickly by Marcassin’s standards, meaning they are probably best drunk in their first decade of life. Fortunately, as the new plantings from Marcassin’s Sonoma Coast vineyards come into production, there will be additional quantities of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to help fulfill the ever increasing demand for these wines. Furthermore, from now on, Marcassin will only deal with their own fruit, and they are ending their relationship with the Martinelli family and will no longer share the fruit from the Three Sisters Vineyard for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay as well as the Blue Slide Ridge for Pinot Noir. One-hundred percent of that fruit will now go to the Martinellis as proprietors Helen Turley and John Wetlaufer concentrate on their estate holdings. I have been purchasing their wines since the early nineties, and it’s remarkable how well the Marcassin wines age. Recent examples of the 1995 and 1997 Chardonnays (which were made from purchased fruit), particularly the Lorenzo and Gauer, are holding up beautifully. They are aging better than most white Burgundies of a similar age. Their Pinot Noirs are also performing brilliantly given what the 1998s, 1999s, and 2000s taste like after a decade of aging. With respect to upcoming releases (one is never quite certain what will be released when, as Marcassin’s release program is relatively late, and difficult to predict), they should include the 2006 and 2007 Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs, which I tasted in late October, 2009. All the Pinot Noirs need considerable aeration, and are among the few Pinots that I would recommend decanting. They all are reminiscent of northern red Burgundies, particularly those from the village of Morey-St.-Denis. The 2007 Pinot Noirs are more backward than their 2006 counterparts, and, assuming they will be released this year, are best cellared for 2-3 years. Tel. (707) 258-3608; Fax (707) 942-5633