Issan 2019

Margaux, Third Growth

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Tasting Notes
The 2019 Château d'Issan has a glorious Margaux bouquet with pressed violets fusing with the black fruit and crushed stone scents. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, fine delineation, taut and fresh, a pinch of black pepper towards the structured and detailed finish that lingers in the mouth. Superb. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting. Score: 94 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2025-2045 01 February 2023
The 2019 d'Issan was picked from September 25 to October 11 and matured in 50% new oak. This clearly has more dimension on the nose, offering well-defined blackberry and raspberry fruit; pencil shavings and undergrowth scents emerge with time. The harmonious palate is very well balanced, with pliant tannins, perfectly judged acidity, and an engaging build in the mouth. Yes, this has put on a bit of weight during its time in barrel, and it should give 30 to 40 years of drinking pleasure. Excellent. Score: 95 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2025-2055 01 February 2022
The 2019 d'Issan has an intense bouquet with blackberry, raspberry, pencil lead and wilted iris scents that unfold gradually from the glass. The oak seems nicely integrated here. The palate is medium-bodied with juicy ripe tannins that provide quite a firm backbone. Mainly black fruit with hints of white pepper, sage and graphite, this is a tightly-wound d'Issan with impressive persistence on the classic pencil lead finish. Maybe a bit old school? There's nothing wrong with that if it is well crafted, like this. Tasted twice, one bottle showing a little more cohesion than the first. Score: 93 - 95 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2025-2055 16 June 2020
The 2019 d'Issan has an intense bouquet with blackberry, raspberry, pencil lead and wilted iris scents that unfold gradually from the glass. The oak seems nicely integrated here. The palate is medium-bodied with juicy ripe tannins that provide quite a firm backbone. Mainly black fruit with hints of white pepper, sage and graphite, this is a tightly-wound d'Issan with impressive persistence on the classic pencil lead finish. Maybe a bit old school? There's nothing wrong with that if it is well crafted, like this. Tasted twice, one bottle showing a little more cohesion than the first. Score: 93 - 95 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2025-2055 01 June 2020
The 2019 d'Issan is a beautifully complex wine. The aromatics alone are beguiling, but that is just the beginning. Readers will find a powerful, layered Issan that is going to need at least a few years to start shedding some of its formidable tannin. Hints of dried rose petal, mint, blood orange, spice and star anise give the 2019 its gorgeous, beautifully lifted personality. Give this a few years, and watch what happens. Score: 95 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2029-2049 01 February 2022
A gorgeous, inviting Margaux, the 2019 d'Issan is ample and resonant in feel, with striking depth and tons of character. Inly blue/purplish fruit, mint, lavender and spice are beautifully woven together. Deceptive at first, the 2019 fleshes out nicely as it gains intensity through to the persistent, taut finish. There is so much to like about this very fine d'Issan. Tasted two times. Score: 92 - 94 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com 01 June 2020
The bigger, more structured Margaux have closed down over ageing, as is the case here with Issan - less exuberant than during En Primeur, but showing concentration, controlled power and beautiful cassis and bilberry fruits. Skilful and deft weaving together of tannins and fresh acidities to cradle the fruit, with a voluptuous creamy mid palate as it opens. Impressive depths, decades of life ahead. 50% new oak, 45% of overall production. Harvest September 25 to October 11. Score: 96 Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2028-2044 12 January 2022
A concentrated but graceful feel to this Issan, showcasing why it is one of the powerhouses of Margaux without necessarily flexing its muscles the most obviously. Takes a few moments to unroll on the palate but as it does it expands both forward and outwards, beautifully filling the mid palate with creamy brambly fruits and firm but flexible tannins. This inches open, suggesting it has an extremely long life ahead of it, and is close to the 2016 in expression, although not quite with the depth of expression of that exemplary vintage. 50% new oak, 3.7pH. 45% of overall production went into the 1st wine. Harvest from 25th September to 11th October. Score: 96 Jane Anson, Decanter.com Maturity: 2029 - 2045 20 May 2020
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 D'Issan soars out of the glass with expressive scents of baked red currants, warm cassis and black cherry compote with hints of powdered cinnamon, potpourri, Provence herbs and aniseed plus a waft of fallen leaves. The medium-bodied palate is elegantly played with bags of fresh, vibrant black and red berry flavors and a firm line of ripe, grainy tannins, finishing with an invigorating lift. Score: 94 - 96 Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 18 June 2020
The flagship 2019 Château D'Issan offers more elegance and purity, with terrific cassis, black cherry and blueberry fruits supported by lots of violet, chocolate, and gravelly minerality. Balanced and medium to full-bodied, it has a solid spice of acidity as well as the lush, sexy, seamless style of the vintage. It's straight-up classy juice that's going to have a broad drink window. Score: 93 - 95 Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com 11 June 2020
This is a very pure expression of cabernet sauvignon with blackcurrants, blackberries and tar. Wet earth, too. It’s full-bodied, yet very tight and reserved. Extremely racy, intense finish. This is super precise. Classical. Score: 96 - 97 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 20 May 2020

Tasting Notes

The 2019 Château d'Issan has a glorious Margaux bouquet with pressed violets fusing with the black fruit and crushed stone scents. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, fine delineation, taut and fresh, a pinch of black pepper towards the structured and detailed finish that lingers in the mouth. Superb. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting.

Score: 94

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2025-2045 01 February 2023

The 2019 d'Issan was picked from September 25 to October 11 and matured in 50% new oak. This clearly has more dimension on the nose, offering well-defined blackberry and raspberry fruit; pencil shavings and undergrowth scents emerge with time. The harmonious palate is very well balanced, with pliant tannins, perfectly judged acidity, and an engaging build in the mouth. Yes, this has put on a bit of weight during its time in barrel, and it should give 30 to 40 years of drinking pleasure. Excellent.

Score: 95

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2025-2055 01 February 2022

The 2019 d'Issan has an intense bouquet with blackberry, raspberry, pencil lead and wilted iris scents that unfold gradually from the glass. The oak seems nicely integrated here. The palate is medium-bodied with juicy ripe tannins that provide quite a firm backbone. Mainly black fruit with hints of white pepper, sage and graphite, this is a tightly-wound d'Issan with impressive persistence on the classic pencil lead finish. Maybe a bit old school? There's nothing wrong with that if it is well crafted, like this. Tasted twice, one bottle showing a little more cohesion than the first.

Score: 93 - 95

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2025-2055 16 June 2020

Score: 93 - 95

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2025-2055 01 June 2020

The 2019 d'Issan is a beautifully complex wine. The aromatics alone are beguiling, but that is just the beginning. Readers will find a powerful, layered Issan that is going to need at least a few years to start shedding some of its formidable tannin. Hints of dried rose petal, mint, blood orange, spice and star anise give the 2019 its gorgeous, beautifully lifted personality. Give this a few years, and watch what happens.

Score: 95

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2029-2049 01 February 2022

A gorgeous, inviting Margaux, the 2019 d'Issan is ample and resonant in feel, with striking depth and tons of character. Inly blue/purplish fruit, mint, lavender and spice are beautifully woven together. Deceptive at first, the 2019 fleshes out nicely as it gains intensity through to the persistent, taut finish. There is so much to like about this very fine d'Issan. Tasted two times.

Score: 92 - 94

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com 01 June 2020

The bigger, more structured Margaux have closed down over ageing, as is the case here with Issan - less exuberant than during En Primeur, but showing concentration, controlled power and beautiful cassis and bilberry fruits. Skilful and deft weaving together of tannins and fresh acidities to cradle the fruit, with a voluptuous creamy mid palate as it opens. Impressive depths, decades of life ahead. 50% new oak, 45% of overall production. Harvest September 25 to October 11.

Score: 96

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2028-2044 12 January 2022

A concentrated but graceful feel to this Issan, showcasing why it is one of the powerhouses of Margaux without necessarily flexing its muscles the most obviously. Takes a few moments to unroll on the palate but as it does it expands both forward and outwards, beautifully filling the mid palate with creamy brambly fruits and firm but flexible tannins. This inches open, suggesting it has an extremely long life ahead of it, and is close to the 2016 in expression, although not quite with the depth of expression of that exemplary vintage. 50% new oak, 3.7pH. 45% of overall production went into the 1st wine. Harvest from 25th September to 11th October.

Score: 96

Jane Anson, Decanter.com Maturity: 2029 - 2045 20 May 2020

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 D'Issan soars out of the glass with expressive scents of baked red currants, warm cassis and black cherry compote with hints of powdered cinnamon, potpourri, Provence herbs and aniseed plus a waft of fallen leaves. The medium-bodied palate is elegantly played with bags of fresh, vibrant black and red berry flavors and a firm line of ripe, grainy tannins, finishing with an invigorating lift.

Score: 94 - 96

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 18 June 2020

The flagship 2019 Château D'Issan offers more elegance and purity, with terrific cassis, black cherry and blueberry fruits supported by lots of violet, chocolate, and gravelly minerality. Balanced and medium to full-bodied, it has a solid spice of acidity as well as the lush, sexy, seamless style of the vintage. It's straight-up classy juice that's going to have a broad drink window.

Score: 93 - 95

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com 11 June 2020

This is a very pure expression of cabernet sauvignon with blackcurrants, blackberries and tar. Wet earth, too. It’s full-bodied, yet very tight and reserved. Extremely racy, intense finish. This is super precise. Classical.

Score: 96 - 97

James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 20 May 2020

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