by Tim Steffens » Mon Jul 03, 2006 11:18 am
I have never had a Marselan (a relatively new cross between Gernache and Cab. S.) before. This very young wine that I picked up for $10 is a monster! It one of the darkest wines I have had in a long time, almost inky black that coats the glass and leaves dark purple legs running down the glass in a colorful display. The nose has a ton of young fruit that almost buries anything else that may be trying to emerge, like a touch of earth, spice, and briar (in a good way). It glides into the mouth with a knockout punch of some kind of dark fruit (cannot really describe), coating all surfaces for a many minute long finish. Excellent amounts of acid and tannins keep the wine in a reasonable balance and should allow this monster to age for several years at least. The only distraction to this wine is the high amount of alcohol (around 14.5%) that gives it a hot edge when warm and imbibed without food. Perhaps a tad simple, but for the price an excellent summer/grill wine. I went back and grabbed a case ($9.45/bottle with tax).
