(99+) The 2007 Chardonnay Marcassin Estate is a California version of a Corton-Charlemagne. The vineyard is planted with old Wente clones on steep volcanic soils and this wine (which I reviewed last year just after bottling) continues to reveal staggering potential. It actually will benefit from 3-4 years of bottle age. My first comment when tasting it was "great stuff." The liqueur of minerality and the citrus blossom notes intermixed with hints of orange rind white currant and unbuttered popcorn are followed by a dense concentrated bone dry white wine with fabulous fruit purity a full-bodied texture and layer upon layer of richness and depth. The finish seems almost endless and the wine appears to be bursting at the seams trying to escape from its structural restraints. This prodigious Chardonnay should be hitting on all cylinders in 3-4 years and last for two decades or more (if you can defer your gratification that long).

This white moves gracefully from primary flavors of peach and citrus to a broader range of charred oak mineral and even a scent of butterscotch. Smooth deep and rich the attractive charred oak quality lingers as this reverberates on the finish. Drink now through 2020. 720 cases made.