Penfolds CWT 521 Cabernet Sauvignon Marselan 2023

Marselan is one exciting addition to the Penfolds Chinese Wine Trial (CWT) programme, a French-bred cross of Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache that has taken to Chinese soils with success. Here, Marselan (11%) from Ningxia with its sweet, spicy fruitiness is the perfect foil for herbal-edged Cabernet sourced from the super high-altitude Shangri-La region in Yunnan province. A striking wine by any measure beautifully captured in lifted cassis, sweet stewed plum, blueberry, earth and herbs, a whiff of potpourri. Impressive, svelte, long and powerful palate flowing smoothly across the tongue and running long bringing a mix of earth, boot polish and leather savouriness to close. Tannins are super fine adding to the textural quality of the wine. Quite the sophisticate.