Issan 2023

The 2023 D'Issan shows excellent potential, unfurling in the glass with aromas of dark berries, cassis, pen ink and white flowers, followed by a medium to full-bodied, velvety and enveloping palate that's rich, fleshy and charming, with lively acids, good depth at the core and a long, sapid finish. It's a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

The 2023 d’Issan was picked from September 18 to October 2. It was cropped at 30hL/ha, lower than usual due to mildew pressure and less rain in August, causing hydric stress during the summer heat wave, especially in the Merlot vines. It was harvested a little later than the other cuvées to benefit from the Indian summer, September 20, and matured in 50% new oak. It has a very pure bouquet with black cherries, cassis and blueberry fruit, though I feel that other recent vintages have shown a touch more complexity. The palate is well balanced and cohesive with fine and quite edgy tannins. There is an impressive symmetry to this d'Issan with a very poised and quite persistent finish. It improves with aeration and all the time, the aromatics seem to muster more energy (hence, I raised my score). One to watch.

Sweet and seductive on the nose, the high notes of violets are accompanied by very ripe cassis and even kirsch, together with pure vanilla. The palate is very slick, bright in acidity but all about the highly polished, ripe tannins. Blue and black fruit drives the finish. This is a hedonistic wine, finishing with baking spices and blueberry jam.

The purity of the fruit is really wonderful here, with blackcurrants, orange peel and raspberries. Aromatic. Full body, chewy tannins and a juicy finish. But it remains linear and vivid. The quality of the tannins and the powdery texture are really alluring. Silky. And so precise. 70% cabernet sauvignon, 25% merlot, 2.5% cabernet franc and 2.5% petit verdot. 13.83% alcohol. 3.66 pH.

The 2023 d'Issan is deep garnet-purple in color. Quite closed to start off, it requires a lot of shaking to wake up scents of creme de cassis, plum preserves, and juicy strawberries followed by nuances of menthol, fallen leaves, dried lavender, and Indian spices. The medium-bodied palate is chock full of expressive black and red berry flavors with loads of spicy accents and a fine-grained texture, finishing with a floral lift. The blend is 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 2.5% Cabernet Franc, and 2.5% Petit Verdot, aging in 50% new oak, with pH 3.66.

First time not to have Malbec in the main Issan wine since the purchase of the neighbouring estate Pontac Lynch in 2020. 50% new oak, 32hl/h yield. Fine tannins, well balanced, inky and powerful but with oyster shell salinity. Chalky tanins with touch of En Primeur asterity, well constructed, full of cocoa bean, cassis, liqourice root, classical balance. 30hl/h yield.

The 2023 d’Issan is a powerful, dense wine, especially for a property where the wines tend to be more understated. A rich, muscular Margaux, the 2023 d'Issan exudes intensity in all of its dimensions. Readers will have to be patient, as the 2023 is going to need a number of years to shed some of its considerable baby fat. Dried herbs, tobacco, incense and bold, dark-toned fruit flow into the deep, resonant finish. Drink 2033-2063.

70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 2.5% Cabernet Franc, 2.5% Petit Verdot. 30 hl/ha. Cask sample.
Pleasing Cabernet-dominated aromas. Palate firm, fresh and structured but a bit recalcitrant today. Touch austere – needs to settle. (JL) 13.8%
Drink 2030 – 2040