2001 Chardonnay Marcassin Vineyard

The Marcassin wines are frequently somewhat temperamental bottles that require some special handling if they are to show at their best.Here are John Wetlaufer's helpful hints for getting the most out of your Marcassin bottles:First, shake any sediment from the cork before storing the bottle on its side at cellar temperature for two to three weeks.Then store the bottle at a 45-degree angle for three or four days so that the sediment collects at one side of the bottom of the bottle.Prior to serving the wine, pour it into a decanter in one smooth, continuous motion.So much for spontaneously grabbing a bottle of Marcassin pinot and popping the cork right now! I don't think Wetlaufer went to such lengths preparing his bottles for my tasting in March, but the wines-especially the pinots-showed spectacularly.By the way, Helen Turley and Wetlaufer plan to speed up their release schedule over the next year: the current plan is to get the 2001s out this spring and the 2002s in the fall.

I hesitate to offer notes on Marcassin's impressive set of 2001s, as these wines are unlikely to be released until 2005. But readers should be aware of the compelling wines that Helen Turley and John Wetlaufer are producing from their own vineyard near the Sonoma coast. And as production slowly rises, more wine lovers will have the opportunity to try these wines. I was less enamored of the Marcassin '98s, although the estate vineyard, with its tiny yields (about a half-ton per acre, according to Turley), showcases this site's ability to produce outstanding wine even in a difficult growing season - which is a fair definition of a grand cru site.