Marcelan: a new grape to learn about and enjoy

This weekend we sampled a great wine: Viladellops 2004: it had well balanced fruit and acidity and round tanins. What really intrigued me though were the grape varieties listed on the label: Garnacha, Syrah and Marcelan. Marcelan?? ...I'd never heard of it.

Marcelan (also spelled Marselan) turns out to be a hybrid of Cabernet Sauvignon and Garnacha created in France in 1961. The name coming from Marseillan, a small town near Montpellier, where the vareity was created. According to the Guia Peñín, it was first used commercially in Spain in 2002. Peñín comments that gives has an interesting counterpoint between concentrated and spicey fruit and subtle tannins, making it an ideal Mediterranean grape. The only drawback being its tendency to fast ripening, increasing the risk of becoming overripe.

Marcelo Desvalls of Viladellops told me that in terms of vine and root growth, Marcelan is very similar to Cabernet, but tastes quite different; closer to Garnacha in flavor and aroma. The wine is very tannic with a high quantity of anthocyans, which give strong, deep color. The soils at Viladellops are rugged and high in calcium, which makes for very elegantly fruity Garnacha grapes, which are, at times, inconsistent. Adding Marcelan before barrel aging gives the wine the right stability for 12 months in oak.

Viladellops is now experimenting with a possible 100% Marcelan from this year's vintage. If it comes about, that would definitely be a wine for those looking for something new to try!