There was a time not so very long
ago that wine ‘experts’ decreed that California’s climate was just too hot for
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Those experts
obviously spent too much time in their office and not out in the field checking
the temperature.
Now there are any number of
winegrowing regions in California that are producing outstanding Pinot Noir and
Chardonnay---coastal Santa Barbara, Monterey County, the Carneros region in
Napa and Sonoma and the Anderson Valley in Mendocino are just a few examples.
There is also outstanding Pinot
Noir and Chardonnay being made in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County,
especially Green Valley, only a few miles from the Pacific. Which leads me to the wines of Marimar
Estate, where Marimar Torres (of the Catalan
wine family) and her staff are making outstanding wine.
She has just released two Pinots
and two Chardonnays that offer a good window into the terroir of the Russian
River Valley and into her particular style of winemaking. All her wines are estate bottled from organic
and biodynamic vineyards.
Let’s have a virtual taste.
Marimar Estate La Masia Chardonnay, Don Miguel Vineyard, 2015. $39. The vineyard is only ten miles from
the Pacific and is a high density planting (over 2000 vines per acre) which
gives balance and concentration to the grapes. There is classic green apple
with a touch of citrus on the nose, followed by a hint of spice in the
mouth. The finish is long and layered,
with a touch of cinnamon and white pepper.
Marimar Estate Bonita’s Hill Chardonnay, Don Miguel Vineyard, 2014.
$49.This is a barrel selection of the best the vineyard has to offer. It is an intense wine with good minerality
with just a touch of oak. The mouth feel
is long and lean with layers of flavor wrapping around the palate. This is serious Chardonnay and one of
California’s best.
Marimar Estate Stony Block Pinot Noir, Don Miguel Vineyard, 2014. $59. An elegant wine with typical cool climate
Pinot Noir spice ---a touch of cloves ---and lively red berry fruit. The finish is complex and balanced with good
minerality to back up the fruit. It
will undoubtedly age well, but who can wait.
Buy a case for aging and another to drink now!
Marimar Estate Cristania Pinot Noir, Don Miguel Vineyard, 2014. $65. Flat out one of the half-dozen best Pinots in
California. An intense wine with
balanced concentration of fruit, ranging from red cherries and dark plum. There
is good acidity minerality as well with a long echoing finish. If you can manage, keep this one for a decade.
It should develop beautifully.
Food Notes
Marimar Torres is an excellent
cook. She has written two fine cook books, The
Spanish Table, and Catalan Country
Kitchen, so she understands the role good wine plays with food. Because her wines are balanced and layered
with nuanced flavors, they pair well with a wide range of food. The Stony Block
Pinot Noir would be a good match with a classic Spanish paella.
--- Ann Walker
