Issan 2015

Margaux, Third Growth

Units	Size	Case size	GBP Price:	Quantities	Buy

Tasting Notes
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. Score: 93 Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2020-2038 21 February 2018
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. Score: 96 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 02 February 2018
This is solid and muscular Issan with round and powerful tannins. Full and long. Impressively structured. Score: 94 - 95 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 01 April 2016
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. (95+) Score: 95 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2023-2040 01 February 2018
The 2015 d'Issan is a striking Margaux. Next to so many other wines of the appellation that are much more opulent, the d'Issan presents a much more feral, savory profile. Smoke, tobacco, leather, cedar, white pepper and game are some of the signatures. Deep, powerful and endowed with a real sense of explosive energy, the 2015 is bursting at the seams with personality. D'Issan is less showy and opulent than most Margauxs and yet it is also super-distinctive. The 2015 is perhaps a bit rustic and eccentric, but those are small quibbles at this level. The blend is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot, aging 50% new oak. Eric Boissenot is the consultant. Tasted three times. Score: 93 - 95 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com 01 April 2016
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. Score: 95 Jeb Dunnuck, - Maturity: 2023-2053 30 November 2017
Vibrant on the nose with good sweet black fruits and lift. Plenty of richness, with medium body, and a fine vanilla finish. Score: 91 - 93 Albany Vintners, - 27 April 2016
Focused, with a twinge of singed alder and cedar up front giving this a slightly old-school feel, followed by a good core of steeped plum and black currant fruit. Picks up a bit of the vintage’s velvety edge on the finish, though the cedar note lingers as well. Score: 88 - 91 James Molesworth, Wine Spectator 01 April 2016
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. Score: 93 - 95 Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2028-2060 01 April 2016
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! Score: 17 - 18 Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2024-2039 01 April 2016

Tasting Notes

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.

Score: 93

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2020-2038 21 February 2018

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.

Score: 96

James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 02 February 2018

This is solid and muscular Issan with round and powerful tannins. Full and long. Impressively structured.

Score: 94 - 95

James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 01 April 2016

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. (95+)

Score: 95

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2023-2040 01 February 2018

The 2015 d'Issan is a striking Margaux. Next to so many other wines of the appellation that are much more opulent, the d'Issan presents a much more feral, savory profile. Smoke, tobacco, leather, cedar, white pepper and game are some of the signatures. Deep, powerful and endowed with a real sense of explosive energy, the 2015 is bursting at the seams with personality. D'Issan is less showy and opulent than most Margauxs and yet it is also super-distinctive. The 2015 is perhaps a bit rustic and eccentric, but those are small quibbles at this level. The blend is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot, aging 50% new oak. Eric Boissenot is the consultant. Tasted three times.

Score: 93 - 95

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com 01 April 2016

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.

Score: 95

Jeb Dunnuck, - Maturity: 2023-2053 30 November 2017

Vibrant on the nose with good sweet black fruits and lift. Plenty of richness, with medium body, and a fine vanilla finish.

Score: 91 - 93

Albany Vintners, - 27 April 2016

Focused, with a twinge of singed alder and cedar up front giving this a slightly old-school feel, followed by a good core of steeped plum and black currant fruit. Picks up a bit of the vintage’s velvety edge on the finish, though the cedar note lingers as well.

Score: 88 - 91

James Molesworth, Wine Spectator 01 April 2016

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.

Score: 93 - 95

Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2028-2060 01 April 2016

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!

Score: 17 - 18

Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2024-2039 01 April 2016

Your Lists & Checkout

New Arrivals

Advanced Search

wine regions

quick links

Issan 2015

Margaux, Third Growth

search wines

Full wine List

RSS feeds

wine regions

join our mailing list