Château d'Issan 2020

A characterful Issan of truly special class, perhaps more closed than other wines, more “classic,” with breed and a pronounced personality; it absolutely needs to age.

Wonderfully intense on the nose, so ripe and concentrated with some toasted oak aromas. Supple and vibrant on the palate, the fruit is clean and crisp with tannins that are fine but firm, just giving the expression some tension and linearity. Cinnamon and clove edge the bright blackcurrant and black cherry fruit with lovely acidity. This is plush, and firm at the same time, clean and clear, fragrant and ripe. Lots going on here with bitter dark chocolate too. It’s all happening. Needs time to relax but this is wonderfully nuanced and really quite captivating. Grippy and refreshing, leaves a lingering impression.

Gorgeous aromas of dried flowers, currants, bark, and forest floor. Lead pencil, too. Tobacco. Full-bodied yet racy and polished, with fine, silky tannins that run the length of the wine. Crunchy and fresh at the end. Give this five or six years to come together. Supple yet structured. It builds at the finish. Try after 2028.

The 2020 d'Issan is a gorgeous, wonderfully complete wine. Blueberry, sage, dried herbs, menthol, lavender and licorice are all beautifully knit together. Medium in body, with notable depth and freshness, Issan is all class. Silky tannins round out the long, vibrant finish. The 2020 d'Issan is the first vintage that incorporates Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec to complement the traditional Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the blend.

The first vintage to include 5 Bordeaux varietals in the blend opens with violets, forest floor, spice, plums, currants, cherries, mint, and a hint of pepper on the nose. On the palate, vibrant red fruits, silky tannins, sweetness, and purity of fruit are easy to discern. The elegant finish lingers, which is a good thing, as you are going to finish the bottle far too quickly. Tasting 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, and now 2020 over the years is going to be a lot of fun. But I warn you, it will be difficult to pick a favorite. That said, today, there is a good possibility that 2020, due to the inclusion of the new grape sources, will be at the head of the class. Drink from 2025–2055.

Deep ruby, opaque core, purple reflections, narrow rim. Savoury black cherry fruit, plum, tobacco and wood nuances; an attractive bouquet. Juicy, ripe red cherries, well-integrated tannins, pronounced fruit with good freshness, mineral-salty finish, persistent. Certainly has good ageing potential. Another positive development from this Chateau.

Pure and floral nose, violet, dark berries, very classic Cabernet with modest oak. The palate combines density and freshness, fine proportions with young but ripe tannins, fresh dark fruit flavours, balanced and long.

The 2020 Château D'Issan is a stunningly good Margaux, and this is another estate that seems to produce brilliant wines every vintage. Sourced from 51.04 hectares of vines and a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, with the rest Petit Verdot and Malbec, it represents just 45% of the total production and spent 18 months in French oak, 50% new and 50% once-used. Beautiful spice-laced red and black fruits, chocolate, smoked tobacco, and incense define the aromatics. These carry to a medium- to full-bodied, restrained, elegant 2020 with terrific mid-palate density, ripe, velvety tannins, and excellent overall balance. This is one of those beautiful, classic wines that grows on you with time in the glass, and hats off to Emmanuel Cruse for yet another incredible wine. It’s going to evolve for another 25–30 years if well stored.

55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, 1% Malbec, 38 hl/ha. Dense purple with an opaque core and a violet rim. Complex woodland-berry bouquet with licorice and delicate lilac notes, with elderberry jelly and blackcurrant drops in the background. On the full palate with a soft texture, finely sandy extract, supportive freshness and a tightly woven tannic frame. Focused finish with dark-berry contours, dark graphite and delicate firm notes underneath, ending with a crumbly astringency.

A successful wine that has lived up to En Primeur promise. The emphasis remains on texture and depth, with velvety tannins, perfumed violets, rose and raspberry leaf aromatics, slate, crushed rocks, serious at first then softening to show raspberry purée and smoked blackcurrant fruits. Cocoa dusting on the finish and clear spice, a little austere right now. The terroirs of the newly purchased Château Pontac Lynch are in this Issan vintage, meaning the blend uses five grape varieties for the first time. Not easy to add these distinctive varieties while maintaining the elegant, finessed style of this estate, but it works. 50% new oak, 38 hl/ha yield.

94-95

The freshness of the vegetal nuances, notes of blond tobacco, blackcurrant, earthy hints and gentle spices. Here is an obviously expandable summary of Issan’s bouquet. Vegetal, because it’s time we put a positive spin on this natural and relevant term. Of course it stirs debate, but it smells wonderful… isn’t that what matters most? Add the sweetness on the palate, a certain density, an acidic structure that champions the finish, and silky tannins… and you get this very elegant, refined and convincing Margaux. We didn’t bet on charm, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make use of it; in the end, freshness prevails. Bravo!

The nose is elegant, racy, and offers delicacy, power (well-calibrated/controlled), concentration, and complexity. It reveals notes of ripe/fresh red berry fruits, pulpy strawberry, and, more slightly, violet and blackcurrant, combined with touches of camphor, pulpy/ripe black fruits, fresh tobacco, fresh licorice, fine hints of saffron, cherry blossom, as well as fine hints of nutmeg, spices, and a discreet hint of Bourbon vanilla. The palate is fruity, perfectly balanced, and offers juiciness, freshness, bright fruit, minerality, good definition, a certain indulgence, a zesty backbone, an airy character (in the palate’s construction), juiciness, controlled richness, a certain power, and a finely tight and relatively powerful tannic frame. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of juicy/pulpy blackcurrant, vibrant raspberry, and, more slightly, ripe/fresh wild red berries, combined with touches of lily, saffron, vibrant cherry, black tea, licorice, as well as fine hints of sweet spices, racy minerality, fine hints of blond tobacco, and an imperceptible hint of pepper (in the background). The tannins are precise, finely tight, and offer a touch of uprightness.

A splendid bouquet, majestically opulent yet never overdone, with pure, seductive black fruits that evoke fresh mountain air. The palate, dark-toned, reveals notes of ink, graphite, and black fruit. The immaculate purity of the fruit and the refined classicism of the aromas give this wine an exceptionally distinguished character.

93–95. Barrel Sample. The walled vineyard of Issan has produced a beautifully elegant wine. It has structure while bringing out bright berry fruits and already integrated acidity. The wine has all the elements for long-term aging.