Winemaker Notes
Blend: 100% Merlot
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Paprika, red plums, mineral and a hint of cocoa powder. Medium body with fine, chalky tannins and an elegant, medium-long finish. Linear, fluid and pure. Nicely crafted. Pure merlot.
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Decanter
Sleek but with a slight chew and sense of texture and weight to the palate. Lots of strawberry and herbal edges - dried herbs, mint, green peppercorns, liquorice, fennel and cocoa powder. This has character and personality and sustains the interest and sense of liveliness from the start to the finish. Licks of minerality come through on the finish ending with a salty, almost iodine tang. Nicely constructed without overdoing it.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Undoubtedly, the 2021 Marsau has one of the best quality-to-price ratios in Bordeaux. A 100% Merlot, it reveals aromas of blackberries, flowers, spices, blackcurrant and blueberries, followed by an elegant, gourmand and medium-bodied palate enhanced by bright acids and velvety, fine-grained tannins. In the context of the vintage, it’s a real success.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
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.