Château La Marzelle 2023

A bouquet with real depth and plenty of dark fruit; the oak is present on the nose and palate yet stays in good harmony with the fruit. Juicy, structured, pleasantly long, with dark-fruited afteraromas. Modern, clean, high quality.

More a modern style, meaning oak extraction with toast and clove, rather prominent but also backed by juicy plum fruit. A palate that shows both breadth and depth, reflecting some cool blue clay concentration. The finish is a bit tight, but that should resolve with barrel ageing.

The 2023 La Marzelle is a rich, exuberant wine. Inky red fruit, blood orange, mint, mocha and pomegranate race across the palate. This heady, sumptuous Saint-Émilion has a ton to offer. The style remains one that favors textural richness and intensity, but there's a welcome touch of freshness these days that provides a terrific counter to what La Marzelle does so well.

Espresso, licorice, chocolate, and dark cherries fill the nose. The palate is medium-bodied, soft, and fruity, with a nice touch of sea-salt on the backend of the finish that adds a lot to the experience. La Marzelle is a hot property that keeps getting better and still sells for a fair price. Drink from 2027-2039.

Deep dark ruby, opaque core, purple reflections, delicate edge brightening. Ripe plum fruit, dark cherry, fine herbal savouriness, some oak and nougat underneath. Juicy, elegant, fine acidity, fruity sweetness, ripe tannins, full-bodied and persistent, certain ageing potential.

Intense, slightly overripe bouquet of blueberry compote, lavender and coconut cream. On the compact palate, there’s a nervy tension, a tightly woven tannic frame and a sinewy body. The very taut, aromatic finish shows small crushed black berries, dark graphite and a crumbly astringency. Rounded off.

Deep and inky, this is full of spice, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, cassis fruit, attractive oyster-shell salinity, and momentum.

Score: 91–93. Black fruits reveal themselves timidly behind still-intense oak, but take center stage on the palate with a texture that is both indulgent and vibrant. Not quite settled yet, but promising.

The nose is fruity, elegant and precise, with fine concentration, balance and a certain texture. It reveals notes of fresh/pulpy blackberry and juicy/ripe blackcurrant, and more subtly, bright red berries, with touches of cornflower and cherry blossom, as well as hints of liquorice stick, a fine touch of cardamom and blond tobacco. The palate is fruity, offering juiciness, freshness, good definition, indulgence, smoothness and a subtle silkiness. It shows notes of juicy/pulpy blackberry, pulpy blackcurrant and, more lightly, crushed cherry, with touches of bright redcurrant, floral and infusion notes, and a hint of star anise. Good length. The tannins are sapid and flavourful.

This red offers pretty, subtle juiciness that pushes friendly notes of black currant and blackberry compote along, while flashes of licorice, apple wood and sweet tobacco check in along the way. Its supple structure gives immediate appeal, but there’s no real rush. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2035.