“By comparison with red and white Burgundy these wines seem quite full-on, but by comparison with the California style, they are elegant and more European. I was very impressed…” – Jamie Goode

Here we go again. Marimar! Sonoma Coast Pinot! Single Vineyard! 91 points Barrel Selection! Over 60% off?! When is this madness gonna end? Hopefully never.

As Wine Spectator says “Catalonia to California: Marimar Torres cultivates her own wine legacy in Sonoma”. ” This small winery is led by a true renaissance woman - born in Spain as an heiress to the Torres wine legacy, she speaks six languages, has degrees in enology, and leads the charge making some truly fantastic wines for her eponymous estate.

She also loves her pups. Enough to have them name her wines. Chico, the adorable English Springer Spaniel sure picked the right hillside to run up. Dona Margarita Vineyard, named after the matriarch of the family sits just a few miles from the coast at 625 feet elevation - high enough to stay above the fogline most days, but near that cool coastal breeze that gives Pinot Noir the perfect environment to thrive.

Bright cherry red in the glass with ruby accents and crimson swirls playing in the light. An intense red currant and raspberry hits your nose first, with blossom, loamy earth, and mineral hints filling in. In the mouth it’s all plum, strawberry, sweet baking spices, and floral notes - expansive and sappy, a medium bodied effort with a lot of ripe fruit. More cherries and an exotic rose pastille note add to a strong, persistent finish. Made in a super food-friendly and versatile style, it has the potential to even enhance mild Asian curries or noodles, along with many, many possibilities. What a delicious, superbly balanced example!

Press Democrat picked her much larger production 2016 Mas Cavalls Pinot as “Wine of the Week”. That one is made by blending remaining lots after the Chico’s Run barrels are selected. They report *“Wine is at its best when paired with food, said Torres, the vintner/cookbook author who has penned The Spanish Table and The Catalan Country Kitchen. ‘That’s the way God intended it to be,’ Torres said. As for her house style with Pinot Noir, Torres prefers free expression, ‘listening to the grapes… I want the grapes to express the personality of the vineyard… The more you know about Pinot, the more you realize how much more there is to learn, and the more you love it because really, it’s the Holy Grail.’”

Poetically stated.

Yet one caveat. Small production gems like this mean a smaller number of cases to go around. With only 9 barrels made let the countdown begin!

91 Points – Wine Enthusiast

“This is a barrel selection from the site, named for a beloved Springer Spaniel. Baking spice, dried herb and jammy blue and red fruit meet a core of supple tannin and moderate acidity, finishing in a hint of clove.”