January 2007 Wine Tasting Notes:
2005 Marilyn Remark Roussanne, Lockwood Valley Vineyard, Monterey Cty.
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This wine is sparkling golden in color with a sparse few bubbles. The nose expresses medium intensity pineapple and apricot with floral and citrus notes and a hint of honey. The palate oscillates between light ripe and dried apple dominated by citrus flavors. A bit heady but not exceedingly hot, this wine has a zesty mouthfeel owing to bright acidity which rises above the deeper, bass mineral notes. Light intensity citrus flavors have some persistence on the fininsh and are embellished by floral finish is embellished by floral notes. |
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RWB Score: 87 breakdown 14.5% Alcohol $26.00 Retail (from winery); 169 cases produced |
The 2005 Remark Roussanne is a great way to cleanse the palate. Its zesty citrus core cuts through but maintains its composure. A lot of finesse in this wine makes it a nice sipping wine as well as a great food pairing. Expected to drink well fro 2 to 3 more years. |
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More reviews of Marilyn Remark Wines More on the Monterey County AVA |
From the Lockwood Valley Vineyards, this Roussanne was aged sur lie for 6 months in French oak.
Following in the footsteps of Viognier whose popularity has risen recently, this rust-colored grape is coming to some considerable attention in California’s Central Coast despite being planted to only some 200 acres. Thought to originate from the Rhône and the Isere Valleys (the latter in eastern France), the grape all but became extinct as it fell by the wayside because it is so difficult to grow. It is prone to many diseases and vagaries of the climate and gives irregular yields. Dedicated vintners selected more sturdy and consistent clones to breed the weak traits out of the variety. It maintains its place in the Rhône region as part of many white blends with Marsanne and Viognier. At its best, it has high acidity and potential for longevity. It gives rich wines that, with increasing temperature of the growing season or year, gain in alcohol and drop in acidity. At its best, Roussanne can have considerable longevity. Roussanne expresses floral aromas and apricot, honey, pear as well as mineral qualities.
Flat to rolling, loamy soils on the east side of the San Antonio Valley are planted to Chardonnay, Marsanne, Pinot Grigio and Rousanne as well as Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Sangiovese, Syrah and Zinfandel. The bowl-shaped San Antonio Valley is bordered by the Santa Lucia Mountains in the west, and is significantly warmer than the rest of Monterey County. The region is subject to only a small marine influence in the form of breezes from the Pacific Ocean - 14 miles to the west. The main cooling effect comes from the morning from fog generated by Lake San Antonio in the southern end of this AVA. This results in a climate which resembles that of Paso Robles to the south.
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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4 points |
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Nose |
3 points |
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Palate |
3 points |
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Finish |
2 points |
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Astringency/Minerality |
5 points |
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Acidity |
5 points |
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Alcohol |
5 points |
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Aging potential |
2 points |
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Overall quality |
8 points |
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