January 2007 Wine Tasting Notes:
2005 Marilyn Remark Marsanne, Loma Pacific Vineyard, Monterey County.
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This wine is medium straw colored. The nose Starts with light floral notes followed by vanilla notes which lead into medium intensity peach, apple and honey. The palate is very mineral on entry and expresses lots of medium intensity green apple, citrus and just a hint of dried tropical fruit. The acids and alcohols play well with this level of extraction and contribute to the viscous and mineral mouthfeel. A medium lengthy finish is racy, displaying green apple which crescendos into citrus backed by mineral notes and ends a with a bit of heat. |
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RWB Score: 89 breakdown 15.0% Alcohol or 14.5?????? $30.00 Retail (from winery); 180 cases produced. |
Bright, lively and vibrant, this 2005 Marsanne from Remark will cut through any heavy flavor and refreshes the palate. Only light chilling is recommended, lets its liveliness be subdued. This is a fairly delicate wine but it will pair well with grilled seafood and white meats for another 2 to 3 years. |
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More reviews of Marilyn Remark Wines More on the Monterey County AVA More on the Arroyo Seco AVA |
Sourced from the Loma Pacific Vineyard, this wine was aged Aged for 6 months in neutral French oak.
Marsanne, with its amber-colored berries, is believed to be northern Rhône origin. Specifically, it is named after the town of Marsanne, near Montélimar in the northern part of the Rhône valley. With a heritage of being used to soften Roussanne and Viognier in blends, it is becoming more frequently seen as a varietal wine. In fact, Marsanne is slowly gaining in popularity (and acreage) not only in Europe, but in Australia and North America. The Rhône Rangers have no doubt been instrumental in growing Marsanne’s popularity. This hardy, highly productive vine produces tight clusters which are susceptible to powdery mildew and other infestations. It does well in blends with Roussanne which can be more austere. It’s acidity is dependent on a cooler climate and, in cases where the acidity of the wine is in fact high, there is a tendency towards great longevity. Marsanne does best in the northern Rhône regions and cooler climates in California. This wine is highly sensitive to the climate and deviations, in either direction, form its temepereture “sweet spot” results in bland, simple, sometimes flabby wines. Its best examples range from a straw to deep golden color. They are full bodied, rich and viscous in mouthfeel. Marsanne displays melon, citrus, tropical fruit, almonds or marzipan, honeysuckle and wild flowers as well as mineral characteristics.
The 165-acre Loma Pacific Vineyard sits at the western edge of the Arroyo Seco AVA, at foot of Santa Lucia Hills. There is a spectrum of salt and mineral content in the soils of the Arroyo Seco AVA from east to west and Loma Pacific Vineyard sits on the lower salinity end of the spectrum. While located in the western portion of its appellation, Loma Pacific Vineyard sits at the foot of the Santa Lucia Mountains but not in the 'tail' portion of the AVA which plunges westward along the Arroyo Seco Canyon. The less fertile soils found in this part of Arroyo Seco force the vines to develop deep root systems. As a result, the fruit on such vines is more concentrated and resulting wines benefit.
The 2005 year saw an increase in crops over the preceding years. The year is being compared to the acclaimed 1997 vintage because of a very long and generally cool growing season without heat spikes. This long season resulted in extended hang times in even temperatures which gave the fruit good extraction but lower sugar levels. The slow ripening of the fruit is expected to make for elegance and balance in the wines of this vintage.
A couple of eleven years, Joel Burnstein and Marilyn Remark have been producing Rhône wines under Marilyn's namesake label since 2003. They work on the wines together, utilizing traditional techniques to bring out their wine's varietal character. They produce approximately 2,000 cases annually form Monterey-grown Rhône grapes: Grenache, Marsanne, Petite Syrah, Roussanne, Syrah and Viognier.
As a winemaker, Joel Burnstein is a proponent of the "Wine is made in the Vineyard" philosophy and believes in minimal intervention - the "Don't screw it up" part of his wine making approach. Joel believes that a wine cannot be manufactured and manipulated into something different than what the vineyard and grapes express. He studied Enology at Fresno State University and interned at Sterling Vineyards after becoming disillusioned with the hectic lifestyle that came with the job of a stock trader. His experience at Sterling paved the road to his appointments as winemaker at Jekel and San Saba wineries where his wines earned him much recognition.
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5 points |
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Nose |
4 points |
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Palate |
3 points |
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Finish |
3 points |
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Astringency/Minerality |
5 points |
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Acidity |
5 points |
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Alcohol |
4 points |
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Aging potential |
2 points |
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Overall quality |
8 points |
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