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Spotlight On: Marcassin Chardonnay Sonoma Coast Three Sisters Vineyard 2003

Marcassin Chardonnay drops significantly in price at auction

John Siudut

Posted: Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Chardonnays from Marcassin often outpace other California Chardonnays at auction, typically doubling or tripling in value from the mailing list price soon after reaching the market. But in recent sales, some of the Marcassin wines have dropped significantly in value. A good example is the Marcassin Chardonnay Sonoma Coast Three Sisters Vineyard 2003 (93 points, $75 release price, $127 current), which lost 50 percent in value this past quarter from its all-time high of $255 set in the first quarter of this year. This newest low came at the Zachys with Wally's auction on June 20 and 21 when three bottles sold for $382, or $127 a bottle.

The sale at Zachys is likely an anomaly, but other Marcassin wines, including those from the 2002 vintage, have also declined in value. The value of the Chardonnay Sonoma Coast Marcassin Vineyard 2002 (93, $90, $359) dropped nearly $100 in price in the past quarter, a delight for bargain hunters.

This data comes from the Wine Spectator Auction Index, a composite of average prices for wines sold at commercial auctions. This chart shows the average auction prices of two Chardonnays from Marcassin from the 4th quarter of 2007 to the second quarter of 2008.

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