Chateau Marsau 2016
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Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine -
Enthusiast
Wine
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Deep, rich color. A nose of black fruit, menthol, evolving into mineral notes when aired (pencil lead, chalk). An elegant palate, voluptuous, supple, silky tannins.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
There’s a very bright and ripe array of dark berries and plums with an earthy edge, as well as nuances of sweetly fragrant black truffle. The palate has a very supple and fluid core of ripe dark plums with a very sleek, polished and compressed bed of tannins. Great depth and drive here through the finish. Mouthwatering, pure merlot. Try from 2023.
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Wine Spectator
Very solid, offering a core of steeped black currant and blackberry confiture notes liberally lined with anise edges and backed by a racy, chalky spine for balance. Approachable, but a few years of cellaring will work too.
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Wine Enthusiast
This wine is richly spicy and refreshingly juicy. Fine tannins give the wine its structure while leaving the beautiful fruit right up front. This will be ready from 2025.
Barrel Sample: 88–90 Points
Other Vintages
2022-
Parker
Robert - Decanter
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Suckling
James - Decanter
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Parker
Robert
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Suckling
James - Decanter
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Parker
Robert
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Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
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Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert
-
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine
- Decanter
-
Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Suckling
James
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Suckling
James
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Suckling
James
At Marsau, given the relatively modest size of the vineyard, meticulous and painstaking vineyard management is carried out throughout the growing period, tailored specifically to each vine. Winemaking techniques are applied selectively, tailored to each individual vineyard block and take into consideration the specific nature of the vintage. The objective is to harness the natural concentration of the fruit, and in so doing, reveal the most expressive and distinctive character of the terroir and grape variety. The wines are aged in French oak barrels in separate batches, to retain the individual identity of each parcel.
With generous fruit and supple tannins, Merlot is made in a range of styles from everyday-drinking to world-renowned and age-worthy. Merlot is the dominant variety in the wines from Bordeaux’s Right Bank regions of St. Emilion and Pomerol, where it is often blended with Cabernet Franc to spectacular result. Merlot also frequently shines on its own, particularly in California’s Napa Valley. Somm Secret—As much as Miles derided the variety in the 2004 film, Sideways, his prized 1961 Château Cheval Blanc is actually a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
On the right bank of Bordeaux between St. Emilion and Bergerac, Cotes de Francs boasts southwestern exposed slopes that produce robust Merlot-based wines. A tiny amount of Sémillon is grown and made in both dry and sweet styles.