January 2007 Wine Tasting Notes:
2005 Marilyn Remark Viognier, Loma Pacific Vineyard, Monterey County.
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This wine is a golden straw color with an amber tinge. The nose offers light aromas of honey, white flowers (honeysuckle and orange blossom), apricot and honeydew melon. The plate displays bright citrus and apricot backed by floral and mineral notes. Bright acidity and heady alcohol and mild minerality make for a fuller bodied white with a viscous mouthfeel. A medium length finish offers bright citrus and light apricot. |
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RWB Score: 90 breakdown 15.5% Alcohol $26.00 Retail (from winery); production volume unknown |
This very food-friendly Viognier from the southern end of Monterey County (now, the San Antonio Valley AVA) is clean, subtle and elegant. Best when minimally chilled, this wine invokes notions of white, sun-warmed blossoms. With crisp acidity, this wine will do well as a social wine for warmer weather but will also pair well with white meats and seafood through 2010. |
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More reviews of Marilyn Remark Wines More on the Monterey County AVA More on the Arroyo Seco AVA |
Viognier is a Rhône variety which is rapidly becoming popular in California. In addition to being offered as a single varietal, it is often blended with Roussanne to make white Rhône blends and is also used in that region (and in California) to soften Syrah and Syrah-based red blends. It is also being experimented with in unconventional blends with Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc. At its best, it shows perfumed floral aromas with honey and tropical fruit flavors and a rich, almost viscous mouthfeel with a prominent mineral element. Aromas and flavors typical of Viognier include: almond, acacia, anise, apricot, grapefruit, guava, honey, kiwi, mango, melon, mint, orange blossoms, pear, pineapple and tangerine as well as floral and mineral notes. Warmer microclimates tend to produce a headier and heavier, low acid style. Cooler growing regions such as the Sta. Rita Hills and Santa Maria Valley AVAs tend to make a more balanced, brighter style with higher acidity. Viognier is also likely to be influenced by fermentation methods, much like Chardonnay (some say more so). When fermented in new oak barrels, the wine will take on prominent oak 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 |
5 points |
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Aging potential |
2 points |
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Overall quality |
8 points |
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