Josh Betz

9.9

The 2006 was worth waiting for. Harlan is such an incredible@experience The earthy and softness of this wine yet so complex and incredible. Happy anniversary to my bride and celebrating 26 years together. — 7 months ago

Matthew Goldenberg

9.1

My first experience with a bdx with this type of age. It had a note of green pepper on the nose and had a lot of life left. — 9 months ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.2

A tad bit tired, but a very cool experience. Butterscotch and caramel galore. — 4 years ago

Matthew Steilen

9.5

A once in a lifetime experience. Honey on the nose. Layers of flavor, slate, pear, cream, vanilla. Full bodied and round, rich rather than sharp. Delicious drinking it alone after dinner on the porch. — 4 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Some friends of ours brought this to our backyard dinner last night. This is not a producer I buy. So, it was nice to revisit and nice of them to share.

The first thing I would say, is this is a well made Pinot Noir. Having said that, I don’t buy it due to its pricing. If you are buying this from the winery, its price point is still too high for it’s quality and gets worse yet when you go to the secondary markets which, many do, due to its limited production & wait on their list.

I say this because I have had countless examples of Sonoma & CA Pinot Noirs that are as good for $75 or around that price point give or take a little. The Hendricks Pinot from Santa Lucia is a similar style and for me, is better than this Marcassin. The Hendricks is $75 on futures buying.

Our friends that brought it, whom we share a mutual friendship with another Sommelier. He told them they had to drink this as it was getting old. I can tell you that is simply not the case. This wine has another 7-10 years of fine drinking ahead. These statements happen when your consuming wine regiment is based on a steady stream of always drinking wines young...It just happens.

The wine shows beautiful mid & dark candied, floral fruits, heavy baking spices and too much cinnamon stick for me. Beautiful, dark, red, blue and purple florals. It is well balanced, lush, elegant, polished with nice round acidity.

A very nice wine just overpriced IMHO. You can do just as well for less and you would only lose out on the fact you are feeling good about opening a cult name Pinot for yourself or to impress others. Not a dig, just the wine psychology that experience has led me to through the devotion of studying wine and consumers feedback. Not all, but enough to call it what it is. I myself have fallen prey to those emotions & I’m sure will again.

Photo of, Marciassin Winery, Helen Turley-Co Owner, Ryan O'Donnell-Winemaker and a Sonoma vineyard they source fruit. — 5 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.4

Tawny amber color. Translucent with a heavy weight in the glass. Has a hotness in the nose and almost seems a bit fortified in the mouth. Notes of brown sugar, mocha, some pepper and sherry. You can definitely feel the power and weight of this wine, but we suspect this has turned a bit to become a little bit madeirized. Still a memorable experience. — 9 years ago

Matt Brock

9.3

Brought out the good stuff for V-Day. Aerated and decanted this bottle of beast for over an hour. Intensely rich fruit, rounded out by tannins that have clearly softened given the age of this wine. So rare to experience a bottle of this magnitude. The first few sips have been absolute heaven, and the balance will surely get better. — 9 years ago

with Jennifer

Jay Kline

9.2

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of two hours. It’s been almost a year since my last visit with the 2018 vintage and it’s in a very pretty spot right now. All notes previously apply though I should point out that the florals are especially showy right now. The nose is simply beautiful to experience. The fruit remains fresh and mostly red fruited. The structure is still firm. Very, very easy to enjoy on its own or with a meal. Drink now through 2038+. — 8 months ago

Mike Saviage

9.6

From a great looking bottle with a fill almost into the neck. Double decanted and left in the bottle for 5 hours before attacking it. Amber color. Good weight and haunting nose. Notes of old cedar, mocha, plums, cola, dark fruit, molasses and some sweet red cherry. Early on it’s all about the amazing nose. But with time the wine gains weight and you have a gorgeous old St Estephe in front of you. Still giving its all, and although the fruit is somewhat faded, this has complexity and structure that still drives the experience. And that nose is simply stunning. Great showing. — 4 years ago

Jay Kline

9.2

This was our red wine selection for dinner at Corvino Supper Club and my first experience with the 2008 Tondonia. We let this sit in a decanter for about an hour while we enjoyed the Raul Perez “Atalier”. No formal notes due to the setting but I recall that it starts a little green (not all that unusual for young Tondonia). Red cherries, harissa, zatar, and dill on the nose. So fresh! Red cherries, earth, leather, and ferrous minerals on the palate. Medium+ acid, medium+ tannin. Lovely. — 4 years ago

Skip Smyser

9.5

What a Fantastic mature wine. A rare opportunity to experience a wine of this quality. Everything is subtle and understated. Still alive and vibrant. I have 2 bottles left that I will drink in next two years 🍷🍷🍷🍷 — 5 years ago

Tree Kilpatrick

9.0

Zingy, ripe and fruit filled. Flavors are smooth operator and sweetest taboo. Tart and juicy on the finish. A fruitful wine drinking experience. Ages beautifully. — 7 years ago

Lewis Chester

9.8

1986 vintage. At Au Fils du Zinc in Chablis - thank you Fabian for picking the best white wine experience of the year. This was a wine that Mr Raveneau didn't release because he thought there was too much oak and sulphur. Only recently did they realise they had a gem. Medium golden hue. Honeyed, white peach, lemon pieces, iodine and crushed rock minerality. Slight bovril note and sea shell with air. Amazing complexity. On the palate, perfect balance between fresh acidity and body, highly concentrated and layers of complexity. Very very long. Outstanding. Still fresh enough to last another 7-10 years at least. — 8 years ago

Charles (Chad) Bucklin

Owner and founder of C. T. Bucklin Wine Advising

9.5

Just a special experience. The nose was powerful and dynamic evolving beautifully over 30 minutes. A smokey phase, a pine phase, and a strong floral phase. The palate was balanced and smooth. The fruit was dead but resembled fruit leather. Two bottles opened, one had grip left, the other didn't. #moutonrothschild #grandcruclassé #2ndgrowth #bordeaux #pauillac #1928 #ctbucklinwine — 9 years ago

Jay Kline

9.1

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of two days. Better on Day 2. The 2023 Zinfandel pours a ruby/purple color with a magenta rim; medium+ viscosity with light staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is youthful with notes of ripe and tart black, red and some blue fruits: black berries, black cherries, raspberries, fig, green herbs, a touch of rubber pool toy, black pepper, dry earth and some gentle warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. From my experience, this is the most youthful expression of Rafanelli Zinfandel I can recall. Good, but to my palate this will probably be better after 2028. — 8 months ago

Carlos Gonzalez

10

4hr decant. The dormant acidity and fruit woke up simultaneously around 3.5 hour mark to deliver an experience we didn’t want to end. Sokolin bought. Perfect condition. Red fruits and perfume for days. Some wines can’t be described just experienced. Wow! — 4 years ago

Jay Kline

9.4

The 2014 vintage was the last harvest while Serge Hochar was still alive. He tragically drowned while on holiday, NYE in 2014. I have no logical reason to be wary of Musar’s future as the team involved in producing the wines have been in place for some time. However, Serge’s death was for me, the loss of an wine hero. This is my first experience with the 2014 and I can’t help but reflect on the unforgettable experiences I’ve had drinking wines that he produced.

Decanted for several hours prior to dinner, the wine appears a deep purple turning garnet after plenty of air with an opaque core. High intensity, medium+ viscosity, a touch of sediment. On the nose, this is a wild carnival for the senses with cherries, mulberries, rhubarb pie, Twin Bing, harissa, kofta, pipe tobacco, oud, teriyaki, and event canned peaches (though only after some time in the glass). On the palate, things are much more modest with a very compelling cherry compote and bright cranberry notes with some tobacco and baking spices. Very primary at this stage. Medium tannin with medium+ acid. The finish long…forever and a day with dried cherries and dates bringing me home. While still an infant, this is shaping up to be a lovely and long-lived vintage of Musar Rouge. Cheers, Serge. Your legacy lives on. — 4 years ago

Dan Michael

9.5

Wow, just wow, this is simply one of the best wines I have tasted. Toasty nose, big and rich without being heavy, perfect with everything on the table, awesome experience! — 7 years ago

Jake Taub

9.6

Notes of crime brulee, cooked pineapple with cinnamon, caramel, fresh honey, and lemon meringue. A special experience — 8 years ago

with Alexa

Jason MacLean

9.2

A chewy, structured burst of natural fruit. Excellent for the price. Finally. — 9 years ago