Winemaker Notes
Blason d’Issan, their second wine, was introduced from 1995 onwards to enable selection amongst their vines growing in the Margaux appellation area. Fruit from their youngest vines is used to produce this wine, which respects the identity of its terroir, while offering a tasty round fruitiness, which can be enjoyed earlier. Blason d’Issan is also aged in barrels for 14 to 16 months, one third of which are new.
Blend: 55% Merlot, 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A velvety and fresh wine with silky tannins that flow across the palate. It's medium-bodied with an impression of crunchiness. Creamy texture. Zesty, flavorful finish. Very approachable now but better in two or three years. Second wine of d'Issan. 44% cabernet sauvignon, 55% merlot and 1% petit verdot.
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Decanter
Beautiful aromatics, fresh and floral dark blackcurrant fruit, milk chocolate. Intensely concentrated, a real bite to the fruit with powdery, firm and filling tannins. A gorgeous mouthfeel, fresh but straight and tense, keeps the focus and direction. You can feel his has been well worked with balanced ripeness and acidity. Feels nicely focussed and detailed, juicy and concentrated with purity and strength. Impressive and persistent. This will be great in 5 - 10 years. 1% PV planted in 1982. 14% press wine. Percentage of production: 46%. Total acidity: 3.62. 35% new barrels. 3.60pH.
Barrel Sample: 92 -
Jeb Dunnuck
The second wine of this château, the 2022 Blason D'Issan is based on 55% Merlot, 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 1% Petit Verdot that was raised in 35% new oak. It has a terrific nose of ripe red and black currants, leafy herbs, damp earth, and tobacco. This carries to a medium-bodied 2022 with plenty of fruit, a round, lush mouthfeel, and a great finish.
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Vinous
The 2022 Blason d'Issan is a delight. Soft, supple and inviting, this seductive Margaux will drink well right out of the gate. Blue/purplish fruit, lavender, sage and mint all grace the gentle, open-knit finish.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Silky, seductive and polished are the words that characterize the best wines from Margaux, the most inland appellation of the Médoc on the Left Bank of Bordeaux.
Margaux’s gravel soils are the thinnest of the Médoc, making them most penetrable by vine roots—some reaching down over 23 feet for water. The best sites are said to be on gentle outcrops, or croupes, where more gravel facilitates good drainage.
The Left Bank of Bordeaux subscribes to an arguably outdated method of classification but it is nonetheless important in regards to history of the area. In 1855 the finest chateaux were deemed on the basis of reputation and trading price—at that time. In 1855, Chateau Margaux achieved first growth status, yet it has been Chateau Palmer (officially third growth from the 1855 classification) that has consistently outperformed others throughout the 20th century.
Chateau Margaux in top vintages is capable of producing red Cabernet Sauvignon based wines described as pure, intense, spell-binding, refined and profound with flavors and aromas of black currant, violets, roses, orange peel, black tea and incense.
Other top producers worthy of noting include Chateau Rauzan-Ségla, Lascombes, Brane-Cantenac, and d’Issan, among others.
The best wines of Margaux combine a deep ruby color with a polished structure, concentration and an unrivaled elegance.