Chateau d'Issan 3eme Cru Classe, Margaux

Decanted half bottle for one hour. Initial floral aromatics became muted after first glass. Black and red berries, plum, dusty earth and minerals. Medium bodied. This wine evolved over three hours. Initially fruity but missing some midpalate stuffing. Then, more minerality and slightly chalky. Last glass really opened up for more concentration and texture. Very smooth. Medium length finish. Best glasses were direct from the bottle (non decanted}.

2014 vintage

Poured from bottle... Violets/Perfume on the nose, dark berries on the palate... elegant and very Margaux like in style... I was hoping it would be a little better - perhaps it has peaked?

2012 vintage

My last of these. While I used to really like this particular vintage, this last bottle seemed to have faded a bit more and feels a bit over the hill. The structure feels a little thin and brittle.

2012 vintage

Very soft red fruit, elegant and almost Pinot noir-like. Some nice earthy character, notes of the forest, and a medium finish. This improved a little on the second day and should last at least 8 - 10 years in its prime. And good drinking now!

2012 vintage

Maerz & Maerz

2014 vintage

Meh - not a big fan on day 1 - this is in a weird stage at this point. I had it opened for 2-3 hours and it never got going. Day 2 - much, much better - tighter, gravel - singing. This needs more bottle age - probably five years - it has the stuffing but is very fruit forward and needs time to come together..

2019 vintage

Viel zu jung! Warten!

2019 vintage

Nose- Dark berries, violets, tobacco, mint/menthol? palate- dark berries, violets, some spice with bigger tannins, medium acidity, & noticeable but nicely intregrated oak in a longer finish. Full body. Great qpr & very aged worthy.

2019 vintage

Was looking for a thrill ride of the century and while it wasn't that, it was pretty darn tasty. Outstanding in quality and value if at $90

2012 vintage

Decanted 6hrs. And another great showing by d’Issan which along with Brane, is rapidly moving up not only my Margaux Totem Pole, but really anywhere in Bordeaux for that matter, the Chateau is simply on a heater since 2016. More overt structure than the 2020 (which has plenty mind you) but still maintains elegance and class with an oh so delicious medley of blackcurrant compote, fresh cut flowers, and a healthy dose of the grounding soil element. I have always …

2019 vintage

Meaty, herbal, dense fruit, polished tannins. Does that meaty flavor come from subtle brett? Mature, but with a long life ahead of it.

2012 vintage

Slow-oxed in the bottle for an hour before serving. Open from the get-go. Ripe, fragrant nose of plums, prunes and dark cherries, leather, blond tobacco and chocolate. On the palate, tannins are fully integrated and mellow, acidity is moderate and the wine is medium-bodied. Initially a bit diluted on the entry, it filled up over the following hour or so (but never reached a high level of concentration, like most of its peers from 2014). Well-balanced and very expressive with …

2014 vintage

I’ve had this since maybe 2018 in the cellar. First taste. Maybe a bit flat but dark and smooth. Drinking well. Not blown away but it’s lovely.

2014 vintage

WC Blind tasting training #24 : Sampled from 375ml bottle The wine shows med to high intensity, blue fruit, black fruit, some floral notes, oak profile, sweet spice notes, a bit warm Palate shows med to full body, sweet spices, bold tannins, herbal notes, med to high acidity, warmth, dried fruit too, chocolate notes, plums, prunes, some planky notes, cinnamon and clove, med finish

2019 vintage

This '12 grand vin from Chateau d'Issan was enjoyed with Emmanuel Cruse through a Pogo's hosted event in Dallas Texas. We were lucky enough to try a vertical of 2018, 2015, 2012, and 2010, along with the 2020 'Blason d'Issan' and a 2015 Chateau Pedesclaux. All wines were slow ox'd for 4 hours before serving. I will include all the scores below for easy guidance. TN: Most austere nose comparatively but benefitted with air time. Out of the entire lineup, …

2012 vintage

Thomas 60

2014 vintage

Drinking well now. Required short time in bottle (even less if decanted) to open up. Very nice now.

2012 vintage

I dont know what the critic score cards on this are for 2019. But, this is now the second attempt at approaching this and it's definitely a good wine. It's in the classic, elegant, refined camp. Understated with great balance of earth to fresh red fruit, with little hints of vanilla and a strong profile of cassis from its youth. Medium in every way, this will gain points with age and I can see this hitting 92/93 with another 5 …

2019 vintage

Quintessential, Over-Delivering Bordeaux Sat. May 3 (K&L Wine Merchants, Hollywood) : Ruby, dark, bright, and translucent. Complex aromas of cassis, forest floor, anise, paprika, tea, and clove. Shows fruit flavors of cherry and red plum over a smooth and stately density, with secondary notes of clove, black tea, cedar, earth and mineral. Round mid-palate density, well-layered, with medium acid and fine-grained, broad tannins, and lengthy notes of cassis and mineral on the finish. WOTF 2.

2019 vintage

Color: Ruby/ Deep Ruby On the Nose: Aromatic dark fruits and pencil lead On the Palate: dark fruits, pencil lead, graphite, medium (-) body Overall: Excellent. Delicious. Nice dark fruits balanced with pencil lead/graphite. Hint of spice on the mid-palate. Very good!

2019 vintage

The US is now their #1 export market. You would be surprised at what some producers spend on labels. It is more than you think. All those countries, languages and different requirements for what needs to be written on them. I think this is in a dumb faze or just closed down. The nose is muted and not all that revealing. Soft blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, strawberries with powdery raspberries. Clayish soils, some clove, dark earth, very light herbs, …

2019 vintage

Classic Bordeaux nose with dried cherry notes, tobacco, and a bit of a nutty note. Medium bodied with red and blue fruit, fine but firm tannins, and a medium-long finish. Needs a good, long rest in the cellar.

2019 vintage

92-93. Surprisingly excellent now ! Very silky. Well balanced for such a young wine.

2019 vintage

Much better than last bottle. Floral, earthy and salty. Looking forward to see this age.

2019 vintage

Elegant and light on its feet for sure, but this is only 6 years old. It’s medium in every aspect and shows a clear old world charm that puts it in the classic camp without any head turning wow factor. Creamy and dripping with cassis while throwing whiffs of vanilla. I won’t rate until I bust out the rest of the bottle after this fat coravin glass. Based on this, the wine is in need of patience and holding hands.

2019 vintage

Well balanced and a bit earthy. Very muted fruits but in a good way.

2019 vintage

I did not care much for this. In comparing to my 2023 notes, I guess this might be shut down. Mostly tart red fruits. Consumed over 2 nights with no change between the two.

2019 vintage

Way to young but very promising future. Agree in the positive reveiews here. My points are for this wine kn expected 6-10 years and onwards for.many years. Maybe one of the Best vintages for this one. Have tried a lot thriugh the years

2019 vintage

Sampled at Suckling event so no tasting note, other than this overdelivered for a young Bordeaux and is drinking beautifully, with lots of primary fruit (cassis) and already showed secondary notes (cigar box).

2019 vintage

Pretty nice after a couple of hours in a wide decanter and then double decanted back into the bottle...but oak tannins / flavours not yet fully integrated, and I was fearing perhaps overdone as the primary fruit recedes. 1/3 of the bottle the next evening was much, so much, better - really lovely and very Margaux.

2014 vintage

One hour post decant: Nose of rich, very ripe blackberry syrup, boysenberry, some soil and spring flowers. Med-full bodied, with a definite saline minerality, as well as broodingly dark brambles and a lashing of cedar. Drinkable now, but better in a few years. Drink 2027-2039 93 1-19-25 rest of Coravined bottle: consistent notes and score. This is so elegant and seamless. It just needs a bit more volume to merit a significantly better score. That said, it is VERY delicious …

2019 vintage

opened up very nicely after 2-3 hours.

2012 vintage

light medium body, not much on the mid palate, red currant mostly with some black fruit, feels watery, makes the wine somewhat sour although acidity is not high. terrible wine for the price and the status of the chateau. some $20 Bordeaux can be better than this.

2019 vintage

Deep red purple colour with some fading at the rim Earthy nose , wet soil, cassis, pencil shavings Earthy on the palate too, quite firm tannin, refreshing, violet and dark fruit, a little vanilla, tobacco on the finish. Really classic claret without a huge depth of flavour. I don't think it's for the long term but it is nice now. Not cheap.

2012 vintage

#JesperHedgaardVinrejse

2019 vintage

Update from Jan 2021 review. From magnum. Ruby. Fragrant. Black and blue fruits, plum, vanilla. Medium/full bodied. Very smooth with velvety tannins and a long finish.

2012 vintage

Big bold rich cocoa fruit to it. Goodly amount of structure on the palate. A bit toasty, a bit wound up, just opened.

2014 vintage

My 2nd last of these. I've always loved this vintage of d'Issan, though this feels like it's starting to decline; still very powerful and expressive but I think this showed better a little younger vs. now.

2012 vintage

Ripe dark red cherry, light char, baking spice, and vanilla. M/M+ intensity. M/M+ tannins, like most have been removed. M/M+ body with a smooth hard plastic texture (not bad, just a descriptor). M/M+ acid. Enjoyable, but would benefit from a bit more of everything. M finish. Tried on multiple separate occasions, including 24 hours after uncorking. Good.

2019 vintage

A very solid yet subdued expression of this bottle. Slightly more closed than the last bottle that was awesome with a decant a few years prior. Lovely cool fruit and good backbone. Happy to have a few more to check in on in 3-5 years.

2014 vintage

Two years since the last bottle and it has soften up. The aftertaste has a hint of salinity. Dry cherries. Day 1 it's not so gourmand on its own but a gruyère or comté cheese balances things up. This is far from ready and not so rewarding young. Day 2 (stored in the fridge) Much better! The prominent dryness is mostly gone and I raise one point with the potential for further improvement.

2019 vintage

1986/2019/2020. i have little experience with this estate, except for the 24 bottles of their 2018 2nd wine, Blason d’Issan, which was a fantastic value and very enjoyable. At PnP, the 1986 is showing some primary fruit but clearly beyond its crescendo but still enjoyable. a bit thin, fully resolved tannins. dark berries and cassis quite noticeable. a bit of bricking. enjoyable yet noticeably different stylistically from a typical bordeaux or even a margaux. 2019 and 2020 exhibit the same …

2019 vintage

Currants, cassis, slight pepper, and perfumed silkiness on the nose. Smooth, polished, elegant, light body, medium acidity, fine tannins. Not concentrated or powerful. More delicate. Immediacy of the aftertaste seems to retreat early but a residual longevity lingers with a fine delicate aroma. Not sure what to make of this...a bit too light and thin for my taste, but has some very good qualities. A high quality, fresh purity of fruit and aromatics. Might need more time in bottle but …

2019 vintage

Not ready. Hold.

2019 vintage

90+ Wine Club, 2014 Bordeaux tasting (Casserole - Greek Bistro) : Wine was opened the previous night The wine offers a sweet profile, red fruit, fine spices, elegant, powerful, welcoming, finesse, nice oak frame, vanilla sweetness, some baked “dessert” notes. Palate is nice and smooth, juicy and balanced, nicely combining fruit and spices, nutty, walnut, sour cherry, med body and long finish -/- No surprises here, beautifully elegant Margaux

2014 vintage

Always a reliable, beautiful aged Bordeaux from one of my favorite producers. Elegant, sweet and expressive, showing nice age. This was better than most of the previous bottles from this case.

2012 vintage

77% Cab, and 23% Merlot and matured in 50% new oak. My sharing with the boys at our Clubhouse in BT Hartamas, I was curious how this was developing and it turns out.. its heading to a good place, and enjoyable this year. Will it shutdown like some other 14s? Hmm.. Acid M+, and growing gradually and gently. Fine tannins, M. Mid palate shows leather notes, nice to see the aging and maturity development, circa 10 years now. Floral aromatics …

2014 vintage

Of all the Bordeaux vintages I have tasted of late I have found the 2012 the most uniform in accessibility. This is no different and is a real joy to taste. It’s in a great place to drink now, aromas of tobacco , cocoa and forest fungi. It’s not a blockbuster but it’s a highly seductive rendition and in a Bordeaux context great value for money.

2012 vintage

Drank the bottle over two days with no decanting whatsoever. First day I thought it was still bit tannic and a bit hollow in the mid palate, also the fruit was being overpowered by barnyard aromas. Second day different story, the fruit was shining together with some tobacco and coffee aromas and a much smoother mouth feeling. Very nice. I am sure this still has some gas in the tank for the next 5-10 years+. At the moment I would …

2012 vintage

Boldly coffee and mocha on the nose, with just a bare hint of green adding complexity. Lively and vivid on the palate with dark fruit and coffee showing through. Substantial structure. Just opened and feels like it can go much farther.

2012 vintage

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Chateau d'Issan 3eme Cru Classe, Margaux

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