Chateau d'Issan 2014

Professional Ratings

• 95 Wine Enthusiast
  This is a serious wine, with dense tannins and concentrated structure. It has strong wood and smoky bacon notes that need to harmonize with the dark plum flavor and ample acidity.
  Barrel Sample: 93-95 Points
• 94 Decanter
  Still feels very much on the primary fruit. Oh this should really develop beautifully – high and tight tannins, good acidity, good fruit, maybe lacks a little luxurious texture but seems to be quivering on the leash, ready to spring out of the box. Dark fruit on the nose, blackberry, with liquorice and even hints of tar. A young, big wine with ambition, and definite promise. Chewier tannins than many on display.
• 94 James Suckling
  Complex aromas of sweet tobacco, chocolate, cedar and plums. Undertones of blackcurrants and dark chocolate. Dense and tight with a beautifully and tightly knit palate, yet this shows so much intensity and length. Love the wet-earth and berry character on the finish. Give this three to four years to soften even if it’s fantastic already to taste.
• 92 Jeb Dunnuck
  The 2014 Château d’Issan is a step back from the 2015 yet is still a beautiful and elegant wine from this estate. Its ruby/purple-tinged color is followed by a gorgeous set of aromatics including currants, cedar, lead pencil, and flowers. With an herbal edge, medium to full-bodied richness, terrific concentration, and a focused, chiseled finish, this is pure class all the way. It’s already approachable but should be at its best from 2020-2040.
• 91 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
  The 2014 D'Issan has a crisp, pure bouquet, quite tight and reticent like the 2014 Marquis d'Alesme Becker, eventually offering blackberry, soy and cedar scents, almost Saint Julien in style. The palate is medium-bodied with a touch of herbaceousness on the entry, but there is plenty of fruit behind it. I like the classic style of this d'Issan, the pepperiness of the Cabernet driving the structured and quite masculine (for Margaux) finish. This is beginning to show the class that I thought it would and it may merit a higher score in the future.
  Rating: 91+