Winemaker Notes
On the palate, the wine is rich with soft, fresh tannins, boasting a generously layered mid-palate with flavors of baking spices, unsweetened cocoa, black summer berry coulis, and a hint of dried cranberries and figs, culminating in a well-balanced, dry finish.
Blend: 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2019 M Proprietary Red Wine is cut from the same cloth as the 2018, yet possibly with even more opulence and baby fat, yet it's also quite structured. Lots of pure cassis, graphite, spice, spring flowers, and graphite define the bouquet, and it's full-bodied, with building, ripe, velvety tannins, a great mouthfeel, and a beautiful finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
With 35% Cabernet Franc planted on the 10-acre vineyard at Marciano Estate, this M label showcases the extra proportion of this grape. The 2019 M by Marciano is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 27% Cabernet Franc. Deep purple-black in color, it bursts with bombastic crème de cassis, blueberry pie and spice cake scents, followed hints of Indian spice, candied violets and dark chocolate, with a waft of menthol. The concentrated, full-bodied palate has a velvety and a fantastic line of freshness supporting the generous, shimmering layers of blue and black fruits, finishing with a compelling lift.
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Vinous
The 2019 M of Marciano Estate is rich, potent and lush, all of which make it an excellent choice for drinking now and over the next decade or so. Succulent dark cherry, plum, licorice and mocha all meld together in this sumptuous, racy second wine from Marciano. The 2019 is very nicely done.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.