Talk-A-Vino

Source: Wikipedia

Have you heard of Marselan?

There is a good chance you never have, and nobody can blame you.

Marselan is a cross between Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache, created by Professor Peter Truel in Languedoc near the French coastal town of Marseillan, which gave Marselan its name. Marselan is a blue-skinned late-ripening variety that produces large clusters of small berries, leading to a high skin-to-juice ratio in winemaking. Marselan prefers dry soil and a hot climate, and it has strong disease resistance to botrytis bunch rot, powdery mildew, and other grape maladies.

The grape was created in 1961, but its real fame came to the grape only in the 21st century. In 2001, the grape made it to China as an experiment. From the initial planting of less than 7 acres, as of 2024, Marcelan occupied more than 10,000 acres, second only to Languedoc, and it became one of the most important grape varieties in China. Maselan in China is often compared to Malbec in Argentina and Carmenere in Chile, having a real chance to become a signature country grape.

Marselan today grows and is used in winemaking in France, China, Israel, Bolivia, Uruguay, Italy, Spain, and other countries. Marselan is typically used as a blending grape, but since 2002, single-varietal Marselan wine has been produced, first in France and now around the world. 259 Marselan wines from 18 regions in 11 countries competed in the first Marselan competition in 2023 in China.

Today, April 27th, on the birthday of Professor Truel, we are celebrating Marselan Day. It is a given that I can’t show a collage of Marselan wines I tried, as I only have 2 wines with Marselan mentioned on the blog. Nevertheless, I would like to share a few interesting tidbits with you.

First, a detailed write up about a delicious Marselan discovery of this year – Gran Marselan wine I had an opportunity to play with. Next is an article from Decanter magazine, profiling some of the latest Marselan wines well worth your attention. And here is a good article about Marselan’s success in China.

Marselan has a bright future ahead of it, and not just as a blending grape, but as a star of its own.

Marselan wines are still difficult to find, but do yourself a favor and see if you can find and experience one, it will be worth the effort.

Until the next grape holiday (Sauvignon Blanc Day is coming up on May 2nd) – cheers!