Causse Marines Marcillac

Oh, my! What a way to go. My last bottle (ever) was opened for my birthday last night with duck confit. What a great bottle: warm Southern fruit, silken smoothness, peppery notes and still vibrant acidity. Such balance and harmony. It's such a shame that they stopped working with this vineyard after this vintage since that means they no longer produce a Marcillac, but my Fer Servadou (Mansois) itch has been scratched for the time being.

This wine tasted like an equal blend of Gamay and Cabernet Franc. This is the type of wine they just can't stop drinking? Perfect with a light dinner. It had the grip of a great Cabernet Franc and the elegance and silkiness of Gamay. I actually have no idea what grapes are in this wine?

Hits my wheelhouse with bright acidity and fine-grained tannins in a cru beajolais style, with primary cherry fruits on the entry palate and iron and minerals on the finish. The aromatic profile shows some raspberry along with hints of iron and balsamic. Easy drinking wine, but perhaps lacks serious depth, although I would certainly reach for it again.

Very dark garnet color. Aroma and taste of blackberries. Medium tennis with medium finish. Nice acid. Great bargain.

MLipton and Wicker Parker pretty much cover it. Delicious. Too bad this is their last vintage from this site (so I'm told).

Quite a different experience from the '08 version, though no less enjoyable to me. Whereas the '08 was lithe and crunchy, a hypothetical cross of Gamay and Cab Franc, the '09 is deeper, richer and less herbaceous to me. In fact, whereas the '08 was pointing toward the Loire Valley's version of Cab Franc, the '09 to me has more in common with Bordeaux's Right Bank versions of Cab Franc. By no means a huge wine, this one has quite …

A bit reduced at first; opens with air. Nice energy here, acid-driven energy; it's a medium-bodied vin de soif with oomph and and midpalate density. Savory on the nose, slightly meaty with tinges of violet and blackcurrant and brown earth. Subtle pepper, vegetal, and mineral notes flow beneath clean and well-structured plum and currant fruit. A very nice mansois (fer servadou) from a somewhat chalky site in Marcillac.

Popped and poured. Rubber aroma up front, with luscious berries underneath. Full, rich palate of plums and celery. Vanilla and spice notes appear in the lingering finish. Fresh, full bodied, fruit forward without being obnoxious about it, and with good balance and structure. This is an outstanding wine from an excellent producer. Great value in the upper teens.

Fer Servadou. Very interesting; dark and inky like carignane or even nero di troia, but with decent balance of bitterness, cuttlefish and plummy fruit. (Granted, I don't know how much Merlot and/or Cab Franc is in this, but) It is unique; with garrique, dark fruit and a peppery finish. Cool...