2019 Château Clos Marsalette

The 2019 Clos Marsalette is just as impressive from bottle as it was from barrel. Dark, rich and inviting, the 2019 possesses terrific depth and resonance that builds with a bit of time in the glass. Black cherry, plum, chocolate, spice and licorice flesh out in this gorgeous, racy Pessac-Léognan. The 2019 is impeccable from start to finish.

- Antonio Galloni (01/2022)

Aromas of blackcurrants, blackberries, graphite, iodine, wet earth, tar and black tea. Some green olives and dried herbs. It’s medium-bodied with firm, fine-grained tannins. Balanced and fresh. Classically structured. Drink from 2025. (02/2022)

I loved the 2019 Clos Marsalette, which has a ripe, sexy, medium to full-bodied style as well as classic Graves-like aromas and flavors of blackcurrants, tobacco leaf, damp earth, and chocolate. It certainly has an herbal edge, yet the fruit is pure and sweet (not residual sugar), it has ripe tannins, a layered mouthfeel, and a great finish. Count me as a fan. Drink this puppy any time over the coming two decades. (04/2022)

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2019 Clos Marsalette charges out with notes of baked plums, creme de cassis, and blackberry pie, plus hints of tar, bay leaves, and scorched earth. Full-bodied, rich, and concentrated, it has a sturdy frame of chewy tannins and low acidity, finishing a little warm and rustic. (05/2022)

Features the lush cassis, mulled plum and boysenberry compote profile of the vintage, along with a fresh mineral streak as well as juniper and savory hints that give it some distinction. Alluring but on the languid side, which is the theme for Pessac in 2019. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2033. 2,600 cases made, 200 cases imported.

- J.M.

Offering up aromas of sweet wild berries, rose petals, orange rind, wood smoke and loamy soil, the 2019 Clos Marsalette is medium to full-bodied, fleshy and charming, with a sweet core of fruit, melting tannins and a lively, succulent profile. Cabernet Sauvignon represents some 50% of the blend at this small Pessac-Léognan estate.

- William Kelley (04/2022)