Intense red-clay and blackberry aromas with brambleberries and mushrooms, too. Full-bodied, soft and round, yet the tannins pull you in with their power. Pretty depth and intensity. Needs time to mellow.

The outlying regions have produced some seriously good wines, and this Cotes des Francs is no exception. Dense and tight, but with some coaxing it gives up rich plum and blackcurrant fruit, a hint of oyster shell, fresh and some dried herbs. Palate is round but intense, ripe dark fruits, with good precision. Nicely balanced finish.

The 2015 Marsau is medium to deep garnet-purple in color with a savory, meaty, earthy nose of smoked meats and scorched earth over a core of warm plums and blackberry pie plus a hint of pencil shavings. Medium to full-bodied, it has a firm, chewy structure and good concentration of muscular fruit, finishing savory/sweet.

The 2015 Marsau is made by the "better half" of CVBG's Mathieu Chardronnier. It is 100% Merlot from 30-year-old vines planted on clay soil and matured in 30% new oak. It felt a little pinched on the nose at first, a little unresponsive, though with aeration I found a light marine influence tincturing the black fruit and it began to find a (prenatal) voice. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannin. There is good weight here: furry textured tannin, but appreciable freshness and a sense of elegance on the finish. Give this 2-3 years in bottle and you will have a fine Francs - Côtes de Bordeaux on your hands.

– eRobertParker.com, April 2016

100% Merlot. Sweet oak and ripe, sweet plum fruit. Furry tannin and a ferrous, bloody note on the palate. Modern and fruit-driven and a little generic, but clearly successful in its style. (RH)

The Chadronnier family of Dourthe/CVBG now own this property. Very ripe and plump on the nose. Only just enough acidity but lovely round texture and fine tannins on the end. Should provide early pleasure. (JR)