Château Sérilhan: Tasting & Drinking
As noted in my account of the history of this property, Château Sérilhan was wound up in 2021, the business having accrued significant debts which it had no hope of paying. The details presented here, on the wins and the final vintages, are thus preserved purely for historical purposes, as this estate is no longer producing wine.
The wines of Didier Marcelis, whether under the label of Château Sérilhan or Château German-Marbuzet, certainly had a very particular style. The colour was dark, the texture rich, and the structure was underpinned by a handsome amount of extracted tannin. They were certainly substantial wines, although they were perhaps not to everybody’s taste. The structure and concentration were perhaps too much for some.
In my opinion the wines were of good quality; they possessed the perfume of the commune, and had plenty of impact and substance, exactly what you wanted from a St Estèphe at this level. And they had acidity for balance. For the terroir they were very approachable, fresh and bright. This was a Cru Bourgeois Supérieur property punching above its weight, and if the style appealed – as indeed it did to me – then the wines were certainly well worth the money.
Since first visiting the property, more than a few years ago now, I did my best to keep track of the most recent releases. The 2019 vintage was undeniably one of the best, although the wines made here in 2020, 2018 and 2014, the latter a vintage in which St Estèphe fared much better than the rest of the Médoc, were also of top-notch quality. The 2017 and 2015 vintages were also worth a punt, 2012 exceeded expectations, while 2013 was a good effort for the vintage, although as with all 2013s this is not a wine to spend any time tracking down.
As noted in my profile, the 2020 vintage was the last to be produced on the property, and when I last checked the property was – according to one contact in the region – “in disarray.” Some vineyards have been sold off, presumably others rented out, but the local press is short on detail. What we know for sure is that Sérilhan is no more, and if that changes I will of course update this profile with new information. (12/2/13, updated 23/7/23, 10/12/23, 3/1/26)
