CHÂTEAU D'ISSAN

2021 3ème Cru Classé Margaux

Grapes Cab Sauv, Merlot
Colour Red
Origin France, Bordeaux
Sub-district Haut Médoc
Village Margaux
Classification 3ème Cru Classé

This is a hearty, ripe and juicy wine with decent depth of fruit, impressive colour, and some rather lovely length and plushness. This is one of only a handful of genuinely successful wines in this commune, and while it is not a blockbuster and nor will it be a wine that will age for aeons, Issan is an attractive and successful wine in 2021, and I have no doubt that fans will flock to secure stock. Rating: 17.5 Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Jun 2022)


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A very fine yet structured d’Issan with blackcurrant and plum, as well as spice and walnuts. The palate is full and structured with wonderful tannins and length. It really grows on the palate. Serious balance of ripe and fine tannins with pretty fruit and a citrusy undertone. This could move up a notch. 65% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot, 2% cabernet franc, 2% malbec and 1% petit verdot. Rating: 95-96 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2022)

Rich aromatics, fresh acidities, careful extraction showcasing black tea and saffron spice notes, balanced and elegant, building in momentum through the palate. Skilful winemaking with plenty of grip. Has austerity through the mid palate, but no dip, and the tannins elongate towards the finish, giving salinity and a moutwatering kick. You can clearly imagine this ageing well, in the slightly sombre but classic style of 2002 or 2006. 50% new oak. Second year with all five of the major black grape varieties of the Médoc, and the Malbec and Petit Verdot make their presence felt. Drinking range: 2026 - 2042 Rating: 94 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2022)

According to Emmanuel Cruse, the 2021 d'Issan is the second vintage to utilize all five permitted grape varieties, picked from September 27 to October 9 and matured in 50% new oak. Quite intense on the nose, it offers layers of raspberry, wild strawberry, iodine and incense aromas. The palate is structured on the entry with a judicious touch of white pepper and clove, building nicely without fully letting go. Linear and detailed on the finish, this is a fine Margaux that should give 20 years of drinking pleasure. Drinking range: 2025 - 2045 Rating: 90-92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2022)

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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