2016 Clos Marsalette, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux

2016 Clos Marsalette, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux

Product: 20168012313
 
2016 Clos Marsalette, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux

Buying options

Available by the case In Bond. Pricing excludes duty and VAT, which must be paid separately before delivery. Storage charges apply.
You can place a bid for this wine on BBX

Description

The 2016 Clos Marsalette is in line with the property’s classic blend, with the Cabernet Sauvignon outweighing the Merlot only slightly, complemented by a dash of Cabernet Franc. The terroir is particularly gravelly here, with a high content of marine sediments and clay from the shifting of the Garonne river’s course over the centuries. The wine shows an expressive bouquet of plums, cassis and lavender. Generous yet defined, the tannins are smooth; the palate tuned perfectly with a refreshing mineral edge. Delightful. Drink now to 2030.
Stefania Masin, Buying Assistant (December 2019)

wine at a glance

Delivery and quality guarantee

Critics reviews

Wine Advocate90-92/100
The 2016 Clos Marsalette, the Pessac-Lognan property of Comte Stephan von Neipperg, is a blend of 45% Merlot, 53% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc that was picked between 4-18 October and matured in 35% new oak. It has a clean and precise bouquet with blackberry and bilberry scents, a fine undercurrent of minerals. I like the elegance on display here. The palate is medium-bodied with mulberry and blackberry on the entry, a touch of black olive and quite a saline second half that is both fresh and detailed. This should drink well over the next decade. It's just a delicious wine--no more, no less.
Neal Martin - 28/04/2017 Read more

About this WINE

Clos Marsalette

Clos Marsalette

Find out more
Pessac-Leognan

Pessac-Leognan

In 1986 a new communal district was created within Graves, in Bordeaux,  based on the districts of Pessac and Léognan, the first of which lies within the suburbs of the city. Essentially this came about through pressure from Pessac-Léognan vignerons, who wished to disassociate themselves from growers with predominately sandy soils further south in Graves.

Pessac-Léognan has the best soils of the region, very similar to those of the Médoc, although the depth of gravel is more variable, and contains all the classed growths of the region. Some of its great names, including Ch. Haut-Brion, even sit serenely and resolutely in Bordeaux's southern urban sprawl.

The climate is milder than to the north of the city and the harvest can occur up to two weeks earlier. This gives the best wines a heady, rich and almost savoury character, laced with notes of tobacco, spice and leather. Further south, the soil is sandier with more clay, and the wines are lighter, fruity and suitable for earlier drinking.

Recommended Châteaux: Ch. Haut-Brion, Ch. la Mission Haut-Brion, Ch. Pape Clément, Ch Haut-Bailly, Domaine de Chevalier, Ch. Larrivet-Haut-Brion, Ch. Carmes Haut-Brion, Ch. La Garde, Villa Bel-Air.

Find out more
Cabernet Sauvignon Blend

Cabernet Sauvignon Blend

Cabernet Sauvignon lends itself particularly well in blends with Merlot. This is actually the archetypal Bordeaux blend, though in different proportions in the sub-regions and sometimes topped up with Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot.

In the Médoc and Graves the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend can range from 95% (Mouton-Rothschild) to as low as 40%. It is particularly suited to the dry, warm, free- draining, gravel-rich soils and is responsible for the redolent cassis characteristics as well as the depth of colour, tannic structure and pronounced acidity of Médoc wines. However 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wines can be slightly hollow-tasting in the middle palate and Merlot with its generous, fleshy fruit flavours acts as a perfect foil by filling in this cavity.

In St-Emilion and Pomerol, the blends are Merlot dominated as Cabernet Sauvignon can struggle to ripen there - when it is included, it adds structure and body to the wine. Sassicaia is the most famous Bordeaux blend in Italy and has spawned many imitations, whereby the blend is now firmly established in the New World and particularly in California and  Australia.

Find out more