Chateau Marsau 2001 (review)

82 points

Cotes de Francs, Bordeaux, 14%.

Oh my... what is this ? I didn't expect this. It is ultra dark, with huge amounts of glycerol, super saturated, powerful and ripe. Dense prune, almost (good quality) porty aromas. And the sort of palate weight that totally knocks around any wines paired to it. Super ripe, concentrated and I'm sure there is added acidity.

It's impressive in its way. A sort of super hero claret. Not what you'd expect at the price !

But it isn't very drinkable or enjoyable. We all look for some of these characters in a wine, but there has to be the balance and style to handle it. Is this Bordeaux ? It tastes much more like a Californian or South African cabernet.

Interesting though, shows that Bordeaux can produce heavy extracted wines if the chateau owner wants to.

A web search shows Parker gave it 90 points (and 90-92 for the 2003 vintage) which must be the cheapest 90 point claret from 2000. Unfortunately I'm not giving it anywhere near 90 points. I expect a lot more style for 90 points. I expect something very enjoyable, entertaining, and sophisticated.