Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Domaine de Couron Marselan, Coteaux de L’Ardeche, 2008

Marselan is a wine grape from France the is relatively unknown throughout the USA and the world. This grape was bred in 1961 as a hybrid of Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache. The Marselan grape is named after Marseillan, a small town on France's Mediterranean coast where it was first grown. This past weekend we were celebrating my birthday at the Metro Brasserie, at Southbridge, in Scottsdale Arizona. It was a lovely evening for alfresco dinning and we took advantage of their classy patio setting. I was excited to find this Marselan on the wine list and enjoy it with the Cassoulet of duck confit, braised lamb, saucisson, tomato confit and white beans. The wine has deep purple/ruby color and is nearly opaque. The nose is full of fresh blackberries, cherries, raspberries and black pepper with no evidence of oak or earth. In the mouth the wine is full bodied, inky, soft and succulent. Sweet cherry, ripe blueberry and juicy plum sing out on a back drop of caramel and white pepper. There are moderate well integrated tannins and a hint of minerality that highlights the fruit driven style. This Domaine de Couron Marselan was quite luscious and delicious and was a great companion to a great dinner. Only a small quantity of this wine is imported to the USA, however, if you find it, try it!

1 comment:

Nick Gann - Aspiring Chef, Sommelier said...

Hey man, great write up!. I have been tasting wines and preparing for my intro Sommelier course. This helped me greatly, I could taste the berries very well, but there was a hint of something I Couldn't get, and the pepper was it. So thank you for identifying it! I will be reading much more from you.