I’ve managed to keep up with the wines of Marimar Estate in Sonoma, California, for over a decade now. My first tasting of their Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines in 2014 introducing me to the eponymous Marimar, who has now been joined by her daughter Cristina in running the company.
From her Spanish roots (Marimar is sister to Miguel Torres) she has established her estate as a very reliable producer of high quality wines from vineyards that benefit from the ocean influence of the Pacific, just a few miles to the west. Vines are planted in a European high density style to encourage competition and subsequent low yields, and oak barrels used are exclusively French from carefully selected cooperages.
This selection of three wines from the Doña Margarita and Don Miguel vineyards once again showed wines that bear a sunny Californian signature, including higher alcohols at around 14.5%, but which also exhibit finesse alongside richness. UK distributor is John E. Fells Wines.
The Wines
(2025) Feom the Don Miguel vineyard, this is whole-cluster pressed and barrel fermented wirh indigenous yeast. The wine was aged on its lees in French oak barrels, 33% new, for nine
months. What an attractive nose: Caramac, nut husks and wheat add interesting nuances to nutty apple. On the palate, nutty, rich, with a succulent core of ripe fruit, honeyed, with delicate lemon blossom acidity and fine texture and length.
(2025) From the Doña Margarita vineyard, six miles from the Pacific Ocean. The wine was aged in French oak barrels, 33% new, and fermented with indigenous yeasts. Full, rich, with bramble and blackcurrant aromas, it's a bold style. The barrel adds smoky, chocolaty spice, and the bottle age of this 2018 has added a subtle earth and undergrowth touch. In the mouth it is textured and supple, plenty of oak showing still but the fleshy density of the fruit carries the wine into a spicy finish, freshened by cherry pit, dry acidity.
(2025) I've been a great fan of this wine over the years and the 2018 follows up on the 93-point 2017 in some style. The Don Miguel vineyard is in the west of Sonoma County and benefits from cooling breezes and fogs funneling through from the Pacific. It is aged 11 months in new French oak barrels. A medium garnet colour, attractive aromas of cherry and small redcurrant fruit mingle with some smoky spice and cedar. There's a glimpse of something floral too. In the mouth it has weight and texture, and becomes quite lush, the fruit fleshy and supple, tannins creamy and fine and the acidity adding a red berry tartness that lifts the picture. Spice again and a little mocha and toast the barrels into the long finish.
