Marimar Estate Mas Cavalls Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast

Marimar Estate Mas Cavalls Pinot Noir is made from 100% Pinot Noir sourced from Marimar’s Dona Margarita Vineyard in the Sonoma Coast wine-growing region of California. This elegant Pinot Noir demonstrates the unique terroir of the West Sonoma Coast, offering intense aromas and well-balanced flavours.

Marimar Estate: Founded 1986

The owner of  Marimar Estate is Marimar Torres, the sister of Miguel Torres, CEO of the world-famous Torres Wine company in Spain. Marimar Torres moved to the United States to sell the family’s Spanish wines in 1975. Marimar managed to grow the sales of Torres wines in the US from 15,000 cases to 150,000 cases in just 10 years. Marimar began planting vines in 1986. Today, the estate comprises approximately 60 acres of vineyards at the original site and 20 acres of vineyards in Sonoma County. In 2023, Marimar’s daughter Cristina Torres, after whom the flagship Pinot Noir is named, was appointed general manager.

Planted In the European Style

Marimar Estate is still one of the few Californian wine estates to be planted in the European style. It features high-density planting with the vines planted on a southwest-facing vertical training system. The grafts are phylloxera-resistant, and the planting density is 5,000 vines per hectare, which is approximately four times higher than the traditional Californian planting density.

These characteristics promote competition among plants and roots, reducing grape yields, thus producing higher quality fruit. This also allows the vines to live longer and develop more intense and elegant aromas, greater concentration of flavours and better balance.

The Spanish Connection

The winery was completed in 1992 and sits on a hill surrounded by the estate vineyards. It focuses on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but in a nod to Marimar’s Spanish roots, a Tempranillo and an Albarino have recently been added to the portfolio.

Don Margarita Vineyard

Mas Cavalls is produced from Pinot Noir grapes grown in the Dona Margarita vineyard which is named after Marimar’s mother (the Don Miguel vineyard is named after her father). The vineyard is located in the West Sonoma Coast Appellation of Origin, on the Bohemian Highway, between Freestone and Occidental – 6 miles from the Pacific Ocean. The property consists of 180 acres, with 12 acres of vineyards planted in 2002 and 8 acres in 2008, situated on a plateau 180 metres above sea level.

Cool Microclimate

The vineyard has a cool microclimate with cool nights due to ocean fog and warm days as the vineyard is typically above the fog line. The soils here are a combination of sandy loam (Goldridge series) with volcanic and marine sediment origins, overlying fractured sandstone subsoil. This sandstone, formed from an ancient seabed, retains moisture due to its porosity while providing excellent drainage, creating optimal conditions for Pinot Noir.

Marimar Estate Mas Cavalls Pinot Noir Winemaking

• 100% Pinot Noir grapes.
• Harvested from late September through to early October.
• After minimal crushing, fermentation takes place in stainless steel vats with indigenous yeasts.
• The wine is aged in premium French oak barrels, 33% new, coopered by Remond, Rousseau, Marchive and François Frères, from the forests of Central France
• Bottled, unfined and unfiltered, in August 2019.
• The blend of clones in this vintage is 60% Dijon 115, 32% Pommard, and 8% Dijon 667.
• Only 2,462 9-litre cases produced.

Marimar Estate wines are available to buy now at Fareham Wine Cellar.