What options would be similar to Marcassin. Not a huge white wine fan. Pretty much all I drink is Aubert, but had a Marcassin a month ago and it was an eye opening moment.
Good question.
Would also be interested on the pinot side.
Never had a Marcassin white, but have had a Marcassin pinot, which was fanastic.
Is Marcassin a singular wine?
Sounds like you might be āa huge white wine fanā after all.
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Maybe some of the bigger vineyards / vintages of Ramey or Rochioli? Kistler?
Ferren & Arista? Winemaker for these two was an assistant winemaker at Marcassin for a number of years.
Kongsgaard to a degree
Ferren. Both Matt and David trained under Helen at Marcassin
I think Rameyās Hyde or Ritchie bottlings might satisfy the same urge. Rameyās wines are pretty full-bodied, but they always have a good acid structure, so they have a freshness missing in a lot of big California chardonnays.
(I had the good fortune to taste an 02 Marcassin next to an 01 Ramey Hyde last week with Dave Ramey at the winery. The 02 Marcassin was going strong but was a little flat next to the 01 Hyde because it didnāt have the same freshening acidity, and the Hyde had a more complex nose, with a mineral note.)
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Aubert you already drink. Closest to Marcassin may be Boars View. Boarders Marcassin vineyard and wine is made my Thomas Rivers Brown.
Find any super ripe pinot and drop in an ounce of vodka. (at least bases on my experience)
LOL. True. Or maybe whisky so you get that oak.
I think he was asking about chardonnay.
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I need to try more Marcassin, but from my limited experience, Aubert scratches a similar rich/bold/fuller-throttle itch, but does a better job doing it and has more balance. The marketplace doesnāt seem to agree with me, but Iām happy to take Aubert over Marcassin, especially with the price difference.
While Iāve enjoyed plenty of Marcassin and other super-pricey Chards, methinks you donāt need to spend 000ās for great - really great - Chard. Look to many sourcing from Hyde and Hudson vineyards, as well as plenty of others - and enjoy the nuances of each area and vineyard. Weāve been enjoying many tasty treats from the Sonoma Coast that continue to wow us as well. Names to consider - and if A-prime quality is the ticket without boundaries of price - go for the single vineyard bottlings: Hyde Winery, Bouchaine, Kistler, Raen, Roar, Hyde de Villaine, Ramey, Hartford Court, Benovia, John Anthony, Hudson Wineryā¦the list can go on and onā¦some surprises - try Ridgeās MBello Chard, it is stunning, and their Estate Chard is killer as well. Weāve been drinking cases of De Negoce chards lately, as the quality is unmatched at twice the price tag. They need to sit open for a day and warm up to near cellar temp, and the RRiver Chards in particular are phenomenal.
I just started buying Aubert after it was suggested to me as an alternative wine to Peter Michael. Some recs Iāve gotten on this site have been duds, but Aubert chards are proving to be very enjoyable to my pallet. And much to my surprise, they are somewhat similar to PM chards. Last fall I visited Paul Lato and enjoyed them very much as well. I would put the Lato chards in the same bucket as Aubert and PM.
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Erin Green, who made the Marcassin wines in the '90s and Pahlmeyer after that, is now consulting for Martinelli. Marcassin bought grapes from them when Helen consulted there.
I would add Lewis to the list.
Aubert in a similar league, as is Morlet. Both outstanding.
IMO, Peter Michael and Kistler very good but a tier down.
Havenāt had the top Kongsgaard (The Judge) as I donāt like the price per bottleā¦about $450.
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It seems to me that Kongsgaard and Marcassin are somewhat uniqueā¦ love āem or leave āem!
One might say that X wine is better than either, but not that they taste the same