Marselan

Marselan is a dry, medium to full-bodied red created in southern France by crossing Cabernet Sauvignon with Grenache. Expect blackberry, black cherry and plum with herbs, pepper and warming spice. Rich and smooth with plenty of dark fruit, it’s brilliant with steak, burgers, roast lamb, BBQ food, sausages and rich tomato-based dishes.

Taste:

Two famous grapes walked into a vineyard...

Marselan combines some of Cabernet Sauvignon’s dark fruit and structure with the ripe, generous character associated with Grenache.

It’s typically dry and medium to full-bodied, with moderate tannins and plenty of blackberry, black cherry, plum and sometimes raspberry. Expect herbs, black pepper, liquorice and spice alongside the fruit, while oak-aged versions can add vanilla, cedar, chocolate or toast.

The tannins can be surprisingly smooth considering one of its parents is Cabernet Sauvignon, making Marselan rich and structured without necessarily feeling heavy.

A bit Cabernet. A bit Grenache. Very much doing its own thing.

Food Pairings:

Marselan’s dark fruit and spice make it a natural match for rich, savoury food.

Try it with steak, ribeye, roast beef, burgers, beef stew, slow-cooked beef, roast lamb, lamb chops or sausages.

It’s also a great BBQ wine. Pair it with BBQ ribs, grilled steak, burgers, smoky sausages, lamb kebabs or barbecued chicken.

Tomato-based dishes work well too, particularly lasagne, spaghetti bolognese, beef ragù, meatballs in tomato sauce or a meat-heavy pizza.

For Mediterranean food, try moussaka, grilled aubergine, roasted peppers, lamb dishes or herb-roasted vegetables.

Meat-free options include mushroom stew, lentil casserole and smoky tomato and bean dishes.

For cheese, mature Cheddar, Gouda and Manchego are all good matches.

Similar Wines:

Given the family tree, Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache are the obvious places to start. Cabernet brings more structure and tannin, while Grenache leans towards ripe fruit, warmth and spice.

Merlot is worth trying if you particularly enjoy Marselan’s smoother texture and dark fruit, while Syrah is a great next move for more blackberry, pepper and savoury spice.

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More About Marselan:

Marselan is a relatively young grape variety, created in France in 1961 by crossing Cabernet Sauvignon with Grenache.

It was originally developed with vineyard performance in mind, combining relatively small berries with useful disease resistance and good-quality fruit. The grape takes its name from Marseillan, a town on France’s Mediterranean coast.

Although it started life in southern France, Marselan has since travelled surprisingly well. You’ll now find it planted in countries including Spain, Israel, Brazil and China, where it has become particularly interesting to the country’s developing premium wine industry.

Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache had a French child, and it promptly went travelling.

Fair enough.