Chris MacLean

9.2

I may be biased (I now sell this wine) but this is one of the best dolcetto examples on the market. Great with steak last night and versatile enough for pizza or antipasti. — 2 years ago

with Sarah

Bob McDonald

9.5

Sparkling Shiraz is a tradition on Christmas Day in Australia and is a great match with Roast Turkey and Baked Glazed Ham. A foamy mousse amongst the dark Ruby red colour. Aromas of blackberry plum and spices. A wonderful palate - sweet and rich with soft velvety tannins. Plenty of life and freshness with red and black fruits. Just plain delicious. My only bottle sadly and I hope I have the willpower to leave my 2004 until next Christmas. These Rockford Blacks are rare birds even in Australia. Disgorged 2002. Postscript: Only purchased in mid 2020 from a private cellar. — 3 years ago

Tree Kilpatrick

8.9

Cool birds and flowers label. Aroma is ripe and full Pinot Noir; red fruits and cherry bark. Flavor is nice raspberries in a mountain stream and black cherry cherry cobblers. Some pomegranate. A hint of cherry cola. Nice hint of cedar. — 4 years ago

Jenks

9.0

26 Pinot blanc, 25 Riesling, 24 muscat, 14 Pinot Gris, 11 gwertz, 5 golden rings, 4 calling birds, 3 French hens, 2 turtle doves. Very cider like. Touch of residual sugar works with the acidity. Thai food winner. — 4 years ago

JKT

9.2

A Brunello that dances with a sense of lightness of being yet grounded in earthy maturity and that Sangiovese goodness. Just like those birds! Yum. Good with the tomato sauced pasta but less so with the mildly spicy Italian sausages in it. First taste after a long wait? One more. — 2 years ago

Morgan O’Brien

9.0

Smooth, no bite, full bodied — 3 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Some friends of ours brought this to our backyard dinner last night. This is not a producer I buy. So, it was nice to revisit and nice of them to share.

The first thing I would say, is this is a well made Pinot Noir. Having said that, I don’t buy it due to its pricing. If you are buying this from the winery, its price point is still too high for it’s quality and gets worse yet when you go to the secondary markets which, many do, due to its limited production & wait on their list.

I say this because I have had countless examples of Sonoma & CA Pinot Noirs that are as good for $75 or around that price point give or take a little. The Hendricks Pinot from Santa Lucia is a similar style and for me, is better than this Marcassin. The Hendricks is $75 on futures buying.

Our friends that brought it, whom we share a mutual friendship with another Sommelier. He told them they had to drink this as it was getting old. I can tell you that is simply not the case. This wine has another 7-10 years of fine drinking ahead. These statements happen when your consuming wine regiment is based on a steady stream of always drinking wines young...It just happens.

The wine shows beautiful mid & dark candied, floral fruits, heavy baking spices and too much cinnamon stick for me. Beautiful, dark, red, blue and purple florals. It is well balanced, lush, elegant, polished with nice round acidity.

A very nice wine just overpriced IMHO. You can do just as well for less and you would only lose out on the fact you are feeling good about opening a cult name Pinot for yourself or to impress others. Not a dig, just the wine psychology that experience has led me to through the devotion of studying wine and consumers feedback. Not all, but enough to call it what it is. I myself have fallen prey to those emotions & I’m sure will again.

Photo of, Marciassin Winery, Helen Turley-Co Owner, Ryan O'Donnell-Winemaker and a Sonoma vineyard they source fruit. — 4 years ago

Ellen Clifford

9.0

Is Merlot Monday a thing? Okay so this is only 80% Merlot (20% Cab Franc) but it is working for me. Smells like purple plums got inspired to write poetry about the cedar trees and violets blooming in their backyard (plums DO have backyards) so they naturally whipped out number two pencils, lit a pipe, and chilled out to write in situ. The plums, the pencils, the trees and flora, the birds and bees, you get all this in here. And soy sauce. I can’t explain it. Mayhaps I’ll go old-school and give it the ol’ WSET analysis:
Eye: medium ruby teasing at the beginnings of garnet at the rim. Thick slow tears.
Nose: medium plus intensity of plums, cassis, cedar, violet, tobacco and dare I say...garrigue‽ in Merlot? Who knew.
Palate: dry, medium acidity, medium fine-grained tannins, medium plus alcohol (albeit nowadays we would have to call it high as it is 14.1 so just barely high), medium body medium plus flavors echoing the nose with the added savory soy note that is quite compelling. Finish is medium plus.
It may be too late for new year resolutions but mine is now to not neglect Merlot. Merlot Monday’s it is! — 3 years ago

S.S. Mandani

9.3

Such a cool bottle. Not as tall as the Freedom Tower, but close from this vantage!

Heavy brioche, like the cheesiest brioche you can imagine. Which I love. Pears and apricot juice. Birds of paradise leaf fronds.

Perfect harmony of creaminess, acid, fruit, and sweetness. Wonderfully rounded. Fine, savory bubbles. Definitely stonefruit and dried apricots and more of that lovely brioche.
— 4 years ago

Julia Geisler

8.9

Thank you so much to Holly at The Whitby for sharing this pick! Very pleasant to talk with and a wonderfully versatile palate.
I received for Xmas one of those nice sunlight alarm clocks that goes off with chirping birds in the morning and weirdly that’s what I thought of when I took the first sip of this. Acidic but not in a way that makes you want to throw it out the window. A nice little wake up call (but for the evening! not the morning) with just a nice lil fruity kick to make it pleasant for sipping.
A reminder that I’d really like to try more orange wines for the sake of simply Understanding. — 4 years ago

with Chantelle