'Way Cool' Wines From Marimar Estate

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