Chateau La Marzelle 2025

The Wine Cellar Insider: Flowers, black cherries, and licorice fill the fragrant profile. The medium-bodied palate is loaded with layers of sweet, juicy, ripe, chocolate-covered plums, cherries, licorice, espresso and spices. The finish continues along the same line with a refreshing energy in the fruits. The wine blends 80% Merlot, with 15% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink from 2028-2047."

James Suckling: Plenty of dark fruit, plum, cherry and orange aromas. Medium-bodied with a creamy texture and a consistent finish. I like the nicely ripe fruit in this."

Jeb Dunnuck: A beautiful, deep purple-hued wine, the 2025 Château La Marzelle checks in as 85% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in 80% new French oak, 15% amphora, and the rest in foudre. Ripe black and blue fruits intermixed with lots of violets, chocolate, and leafy herbs all define the nose, and on the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, with a round, layered, sexy mouthfeel and a great finish. Harvested between May 8th and 19th, it hit 14% alcohol with a pH of 3.62. This is probably one of the finest wines I've tasted from this team in some time, and I'd certainly happily drink a bottle."

Decanter: Chewy and fleshy but lightly presented with plenty of acidity and cooling freshness that gives both texture and lift. Lovely chalky tannins that give nuance but aren't at all dry. Feels really classy and well made. Grippy and focused, a little tense towards the finish but this will soften nicely."

Falstaff: Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Etwas scheu, feine dunkle Beerenfrucht, schwarze Kirschen, Nougat, zarte Kräuterwürze unterlegt. Saftig, elegant, reife Herzkirschen, integrierte, tragende Tannine, mineralisch und gut anhaftend, gute Länge, zeigt Reifepotenzial."

Jane Anson: Plum and cassis colour and aromatics, this has citrus acidities alongside enjoyable juicy autumnal forest fruits, toasted orange peel, plenty of slate textured tannins giving rise and lift through the palate. Harvest September 8 to 23. Tasted twice. 84% new oak plus ampora, 15 years of working biodynamically, certified organic."

Vinum: Expressiv, mit Brombeeren, Kokosflocken, würzige Noten; satter Gaumen, reife Frucht, feines Tannin, gut verpackte Säure, etwas hitzig, jedoch mit langem, reiffruchtigen Abgang. Könnte mit dem Ausbau noch zulegen."

Jancis Robinson: Mid purplish crimson. Open and intensely aromatic with both black and dark-red fruit. Hint of chocolate. Deep-pile, smooth tannins. Rounded and caressing already. Firm but velvety. Terrific fruit with a bite of freshness to balance."