CHÂTEAU D'ISSAN
2020 3ème Cru Classé Margaux
Grapes | Cab Sauv, Merlot |
Colour | Red |
Origin | France, Bordeaux |
Sub-district | Haut Médoc |
Village | Margaux |
Classification | 3ème Cru Classé |
ABV | 13% |
Market Insight: Château d'Issan had their best scores yet in 2019 and their wine still seems generally underpriced. In 2020, if we hope for the scame score, I think we can only allow for the same price, or even a bit higher, as the 2018 now sits at £250/6. L&S (May 2021)
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*Case price discount: Mix any 12 bottles of wine (or 9 litre equivalent) or 6 bottles of Champagne, Spirits, Sweet Wine or Fortified (4.5 litres) to get the discounted 'case price' for each bottle.
Gorgeous aromas of dried flowers, currants, bark, and forest floor. Lead pencil, too. Tobacco. Full-bodied yet racy and polished with fine and silky tannins that run the length of the wine. Crunchy and fresh at the end. Give this five or six years to come together. Supple yet structured. It builds at the finish. Try after 2028. Rating: 97 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2023)
The 2020 d'Issan is a gorgeous, wonderfully complete wine. Blueberry, sage, dried herbs, menthol, lavender and licorice are all beautifully knit together. Medium in body, with notable depth and freshness, Issan is all class. Silky tannins round out the long, vibrant finish. The 2020 d'Issan is the first vintage that incorporates Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec to complement the traditional Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the blend. Drinking range: 2030 - 2060 Rating: 95 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)
The 2020 d'Issan is the first vintage with the parcels acquired from Pontac-Lynch, located just outside the Clos d'Issan. It contains a few rows of Malbec whose quality surprised Emmanuel Cruse, hence 1% in the Grand Vin. It also includes Petit Verdot planted in 1948. It is quintessentially Margaux on the nose with pressed violet and incense infusing the black fruit, beautifully defined with just some new oak to be assimilated. The palate is medium-bodied with svelte tannins, perfectly-judged acidity, harmonious and wonderfully focused on the peacock's tail of a finish. This is one of the finest d'Issans of the modern era. Drinking range: 2026 - 2055 Rating: 94 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)
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.
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