CHÂTEAU D'ISSAN
2014 3ème Cru Classé Margaux
Quite bright on the nose, lovely violet character and blueberries which follow through to the quite lush and juicy core. Densely packed a darker feel develops with dark blackberries and a note of leafy tobacco. Fine grained tannins add good and serious edge. 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot. Rating: 91 L&S (Apr 2015)
* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.
The 2014 Château d'Issan has an open-knit, fresh bouquet with light, tobacco-tinged black fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, understated and elegant in style with a Saint-Julien-like finish. Six years ago, the bottle suggested a better wine, indicating that it peaked in the interim. Tasted blind at the Southwold 10-Year-On tasting. Drinking range: 2024 - 2033 Rating: 88 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Mar 2024)
You are immediately captured by the aromatics of this wine, such gorgeous complexity on display, layers of fern, heather, sage, white pepper, gun smoke. Taut tannins still at 6 years old, with nuanced, balanced, juicy and powerful cassis and bilberry fruits. No need to rush because this will age, but there is so much to enjoy here. Drinking range: 2023 - 2040 Rating: 94 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (Sept 2021)
The 2014 d’Issan has a comparatively simple and straightforward bouquet relative to its peers, a light marine influence evolving with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, well judged acidity, harmonious and precise with a sustained finish. But it does not want to put a foot wrong and consequently there is an air of conservatism about this Margaux playing safe. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. Drinking range: 2020 - 2045 Rating: 91 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Mar 2018)
Sweet and rich on the nose. Very lively and toasty but a bit tarty. Lean. Drinking range: 2021 - 2032 Rating: 16+ Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Feb 2018)
The 2014 d'Issan is plump, juicy and delicious. Torrefaction, smoke, licorice, plum, grilled herbs, leather and tobacco give the 2014 its racy, exuberant personality and considerable near-term appeal. This is an especially bold, rich Margaux, but it works nicely. Tasted two times. Drinking range: 2017 - 2026 Rating: 91 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2017)
Lovely floral fruit, elegant freshness and natural depth - a true taste of Margaux from this historic château. (Highly recommended Margaux, Decanter.) Drinking range: 2018 - 2028 Rating: 90 Steven Spurrier (Apr 2015)
The 2014 d'Issan is an open, forward wine that should drink well pretty much upon release as it already shows quite a bit of immediacy. Black cherry, plum, spice, new leather and licorice are some of the notes that meld together in the glass. The 2014 is juicy and not especially complex, but it does offer plenty of up-front appeal. Rating: 89-91 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Apr 2015)
Mid crimson. Correct and well balanced. Spreads right across the palate. Really very impressive balance with lots of useful elements. Good drive and interest quotient. Complex and satisfying. Quite persistent. Really very impressive even if not a very long-term wine. Drinking range: 2018 - 2030 Rating: 17 Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2015)
Sweet and ripe on the nose the palate is fresh quite light at the start slightly richer in the middle with more depth at the back. The mix of fruits gives complexity the red fruits giving brightness on the finish. Drinking range: 2025 - 2037 Rating: 86-89 Derek Smedley MW, www.dereksmedleymw.co.uk (Apr 2015)
Elegant, with lacy yet persistent tannins carrying pretty plum, anise and savory hints. Lacks some stuffing on the finish. Rating: 86-89 James Molesworth, The Wine Spectator (Apr 2015)
The 2014 D'Issan has a crisp, pure bouquet, quite tight and reticent like the 2014 Marquis d'Alesme Becker, eventually offering blackberry, soy and cedar scents, almost Saint Julien in style. The palate is medium-bodied with a touch of herbaceousness on the entry, but there is plenty of fruit behind it. I like the classic style of this d'Issan, the pepperiness of the Cabernet driving the structured and quite masculine (for Margaux) finish. This is beginning to show the class that I thought it would and it may merit a higher score in the future. Drinking range: 2020 - 2040 Rating: 91+ Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Mar 2015)
A dense and tight wine with cedar, berry, light chocolate and nut character. Full body, compacted center palate with muscular tannins. Rating: 92-93 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Mar 2015)
Château d'Issan
Margaux Troisième cru 1855 When Pierre l'Essenault inherited what became Château d'Issan through his marriage in the mid-17th Century, he knocked down the old castle that stood on the site and built the present château. He also gave it its name, these days somewhat abridged. During the 18th Century, part of the estate was divided away and became today's Château Palmer. In 1945, Château d'Issan was bought by Emmanuel Cruse who bought a run-down estate, ravaged by Depression and War with only 2ha of working vineyard. The vineyards now occupy 53ha, planted to 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot. Wines typically spend 18 months in wood. In 2013 Jacky Lorenzetti, who owns Lilian Ladouys, bought 50% of d'Issan to become co-owner with the Cruse family. Château d'Issan is among the fullest and richest Margaux's, a facet which sometimes in the past has suggested a lack of charm. Indeed, the Cruse family's care and attention to d'Issan has taken many years to bear fruit, with the wines only returning to top-flight quality in the latter years of the 20th Century. They are now among the better wines in the appellation and well worth their 3rd Growth status. There is a second wine at Château d'Issan called Blason d'Issan. Château d'Issan also includes some vines which fall outside the Margaux appellation - Château de Candale, Haut-Médoc and Moulin d'Issan, Bordeaux Supérieur.
Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those of the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do call us, but see the 'practical notes' below.
Ordering
Prices are per case as listed 'in bond London'.
Pre-Orders are a firm commitment from you to buy the wines you order on release, subject to the price being below the upper price of the estimated band on our website. You may also set your own upper price limit, lower or higher than ours. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability. Providing this firm commitment to us effectively gives you priority.
Wines listed on the website (after any pre-orders and allocations have been fulfilled) can be ordered in the usual way via the website order form or by email or telephone 020 7221 1982, always subject to stock remaining.
Confirmation
All orders will be confirmed by email and are contractually binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of the confirmation date, apart from pre-orders which are binding if the release price is below the top estimate or other price you have set.
Invoices are raised at the In Bond price, excluding any duty and VAT which will become payable at the prevailing rates on arrival of the wine if required duty paid.
Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or credit transfer. We reserve the right to charge 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.
Delivery
- Shipment to our bond (LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
- Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
- Other deliveries (In Bond and Duty Paid) are also free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £1000, orders below this total will be charged £16.50+ VAT when the wine invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
- Delivery for 2016 Bordeaux primeurs will probably be completed by October 2019, but we make no guarantee as to specific delivery times, and some of the Sauternes may be later.
Practical notes - how it works
We start a sale in each customer's name and add all their primeur orders to one sale which is invoiced at the end of the campaign (or when the customer wishes) for immediate payment. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option, but do please note that confirmed orders are still binding as above even if the final invoice has not been issued.
When the wine is shipped, unless previously specified we will assume that delivery is to be to bonded storage with Elephant Storage, but in any case, we will contact you requesting any alternative instructions. If you have another bonded delivery address you would like the wine to go to, please tell us at the time of ordering. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue invoices at the rates prevailing at the time for the excise duty (currently £25.98 per case) and the VAT (currently at 20%) on the total of the wine cost and the duty.
Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.
One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the bottle size you want. Even if a wine is only listed in one size, you can order any bottle or case size you want if the property supplies it, but you must order the case/bottle size you require and check that the correct size has been invoiced.
Additional charges are as follows:-
- +£15 per case of 24 half-bottles
- +£15 per case of 6 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
- +£35 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
- +£45 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.