2018 Château d’Issan

Description

96    James Suckling
“Aromas of blackberry, plum, cocoa, iodine, clove and graphite. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, silky tannins. Tightly wound and mineral at the moment, with dusty gravel and graphite notes, yet with focus and precision. Such balance and harmony for the vintage.” (1/2021)

95    Jane Anson for Decanter
Well-balanced, fleshed out by redcurrant, raspberry and black cherry fruits. There is tannic build-up, gently layering but adding up to quite the wall at this stage, suggesting a long life ahead, and beautifully judged cigar smoke edging through the finish. Good stuff from Issan, and a wine I have tasted both at en primeur and during ageing in barrel. 50% new oak. (JA) Inner quote mark (11/2020)

95    Jeb Dunnuck
“The top wine, the 2018 Château D’Issan is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot that spent 18 months in 50% new French oak. It offers a beautiful, singular bouquet of blackcurrants, new leather, smoked tobacco, scorched earth, and camphor. This carries to a medium to full-bodied, seamless Margaux with wonderful tannins, beautifully integrated acidity, and just a flawlessly balanced, elegant, layered style that’s going to evolve for 20-25 years. It’s one classy 2018 that has loads to love.” (3/2021)

94    Antonio Galloni for Vinous
“The 2018 d’Issan is a potent, backward wine that is going to need a number of years to come into its own. Dark and brooding, with serious intensity, the 2018 shows off real depth in its blue/purplish fruit, chocolate, spice, smoke and leather flavors. The tannins are imposing today, but, then again, everything about the 2018 feels large in scale. I can’t wait to see how the 2018 ages.” (3/2021)

92    Neal Martin for Vinous
“The 2018 Château d’Issan offers fragrant blackberry, cedar and light peppermint scents on a nose that gently unfolds with aeration. This is charming and precise. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit and fine intensity. A dusting of dark chocolate appears toward the finish, which needs some time to fully cohere; cellar it for 4–6 years. A very capable Margaux that should develop well in bottle.” (3/2021)