| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Margaux |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
The 2015 d'Issan is a total knock-out. Spectacularly ripe and intense, the 2015 exudes richness in all of its dimensions. Super-ripe dark plum, lavender, spice, savory herbs, iron, smoke and new leather add myriad shades of nuance to this super-ripe, decidedly hedonistic Margaux. A powerful, dense wine, the 2015 is going to need a number of years before it is close to being ready to drink. I was quite impressed with d'Issan both times I tasted it. The 2015 has really come along nicely. The blend is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot, aged in 50% new oak. Eric Boissenot consults. 2023 - 2040
The 2015 d'Issan is broodier on the nose than its peers and demands more coaxing, eventually revealing black fruit laced with tar and cedar. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin and a keen line of acidity, but does not quite deliver enough complexity and personality toward the finish, implying that it has closed down in recent months. Wait for this wonderful Margaux to reach its plateau, because it is a very great wine. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting. Drink 2023-2050.
Very complex aromas of currants, blackberries and iodine with hints of dried mushrooms and flowers. Full-bodied, very fine and silky with a very, very long finish. Shows tension and finesse. Structured yet shows an ultra-fine texture. Deep, dense center palate, yet it's all so polished. A wine for the future. Drink in 2022.
A powerhouse offering from proprietor Emmanuel Cruse (with consulting advice from Eric Boissenot) is the 2015 Château d'Issan which in 2015 is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot brought up in just over 50% new barrels. Offering a spectacular bouquet of blackcurrants, lead pencil, chocolate and espresso, this full-bodied, incredibly sexy Margaux boast sweet, sweet tannin, lots of oak, a stacked mid-palate and a huge finish. It’s a tour de force that’s going to benefit from 5-6 years of cellaring and keep for three decades. As I’ve stated numerous times in this report, Margaux was the place to be in 2015 and I suspect numerous estates have made their best wines to date. 2023 - 2053
A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot aged in 50% new and 50% one-year-old barrels for 18 months, the deep garnet-purple colored 2015 D'Issan simply sings with a beautiful perfume of wilted flowers, rose hip tea and mincemeat with a core of cherry preserves and blackberry tart plus a hint of underbrush. Medium-bodied, fine, fresh and elegant, it's very soft and silky in the mouth with a long finish. 2020 - 2038
The 70th anniversary of the Cruse family at Issan, this is packed with still-young and creamy cassis and black cherry fruits, gourmet brioche, liquorice and smoked earth notes, an exceptional vintage, that is harmonious and balanced. This was a warm summer but Issan has maintained freshness and juice, with signature Margaux floral and gunsmoke aromatics. The appellation of Margaux saw 32mm of rain compared to the northern Medoc that was closer to 110mm, and it shows in the concentration of this wine. 55% new oak. Harvest September 21 to October 10, yield 40hl/h. Retasted September 2022, confirms the exceptional quality of this vintage - a year where the fruit is so succulent that it is possible to enjoy today with a long carafe, but it is going nowhere. Drink 2023-2046.
Tasted blind. Quite sweet, smoked hickory oak with punch and a bit of drama. Juice and attack. Just scrapes a 17.
Drink 2024-2040
This 55 hectare Margaux property is planted with 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot and the wine is aged in 50% new oak. The Cruse family have brought in new investment recently from M Lorenzetti who has also purchased Pedesclaux in Pauillac. Recent vintages have performed very well in blind tastings at Southwold. Vibrant purple in the glass. The nose has hints of graphite and violets, with a juicy blackcurrant profile. The palate is pure with cassis and a little cherry pie thanks to the vanilla notes from new oak. The texture is silky and lifted bringing a real vibrancy to pair with cedary Medocain tannins. Great finesse on the long finish.
The fruit on the nose is bright the start of the palate fresh. Sweet fruit depth ripe cassis in the middle the fruit is supported by fine tannins. Juicy fleshy depth at the back the finish has hints of vanilla.
This is a very calm, very deep Issan with all of the flavour pushed to the back of the palate. It seems shy on the nose and
rather introspective but there is some very classy, velvety fruit here and some sooty oak which melds well. A good effort,
this will be a slow burn but it will open beautifully one day into the archetypal Margaux.
The 2015 D'Issan is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot and was bottled in May 2017 (a little earlier than some of its Margaux neighbors such as Palmer or Château Margaux). It has an intense bouquet with black cherries, boysenberry, cedar and those marine-like scents that I picked up on when I tasted this in barrel. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, slightly grainy tannin. There is a touch of graphite here, with a little more structure on the finish than I was expecting, yet it's still as fresh as a daisy and demonstrating greater precision than almost every other vintage that precedes it. This comes highly recommended—a superb wine from Emmanuel Cruse and his team. Anticipated maturity: 2022 - 2050.
The 2015 Château d'Issan is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot cropped at 40 hl/ha, representing 55% of the production. Emmanuel Cruse told me how they suffered less rain on the weekend of 12 and 13 September, 32 millimeters being less than in the northern Médoc. Cropped between 21 September and 6 October, it has a very pure and sensual bouquet that takes time to open up, eventually offering black cherries and blueberry, a marine influence tucked in just behind (a common thread throughout various vintages of d'Issan). The palate is underpinned by extraordinarily fine tannin that gently caress the mouth. The 55% new oak is beautifully embroidered throughout this wine from start to finish, which displays energy, real frisson in the mouth. This may well turn out to be one of the greatest Château d'Issan made in the modern era. Tasted twice with consistent notes. Drink 2028-2060.
This is solid and muscular Issan with round and powerful tannins. Full and long. Impressively structured.
Only medium crimson. Only medium intensity of aroma but lots of vivacity underneath. Very 'new-fashioned', as the Joanne brothers put it. Racy and full of real charm and energy. Lots behind this. This builds towards the end in a way that good burgundy does. Chapeau!
Drink 2024-2039
