Chateau d´Issan 2015

JEB DUNNUCK: "A powerhouse offering from proprietor Emmanuel Cruse (with consulting advice from Eric Boissenot) is the 2015 Château d'Issan which in 2015 is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot brought up in just over 50% new barrels. Offering a spectacular bouquet of blackcurrants, lead pencil, chocolate and espresso, this full-bodied, incredibly sexy Margaux boast sweet, sweet tannin, lots of oak, a stacked mid-palate and a huge finish. It’s a tour de force that’s going to benefit from 5-6 years of cellaring and keep for three decades. As I’ve stated numerous times in this report, Margaux was the place to be in 2015 and I suspect numerous estates have made their best wines to date."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Truffles, fresh flowers and Cuban cigar aromas work in tandem with the plums and cherries. Medium/full bodied, the wine is elegant in character, with layers of sweet fruits and silky tannins in the finish. You can drink this young, due to the supple textures, but if you have the patience to wait a decade, this will be stunning when it enters maturity."

DECANTER: "Rosemary, sage, soft white pepper spice - this has a sense of levitation. It's young but with acidity that bounces alongside the fruit. Good quality and still extremely young at this point. Margaux received less rain than Pauillac and St Julien in 2015 during harvest, and this has plenty of red berry fruits, with density and ripe flesh, if closed up right now. Drinking Window 2024 - 2042."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "93–95. Barrel Sample. This is a serious, structured wine. It has plenty of black plum flavor, although the firm tannins will play an important part in its development. The ample acidity and fresh finish are other harbingers for the wine's good future."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot aged in 50% new and 50% one-year-old barrels for 18 months, the deep garnet-purple colored 2015 D'Issan simply sings with a beautiful perfume of wilted flowers, rose hip tea and mincemeat with a core of cherry preserves and blackberry tart plus a hint of underbrush. Medium-bodied, fine, fresh and elegant, it's very soft and silky in the mouth with a long finish."

WEINWISSER: "Tiefes Purpur, satt in der Mitte, Granatschimmer am Rand. Intensives, zu Beginn leicht medizinal wirkendes Bouquet, rote Pflaumenschalen, Zedernduft und dominikanischer Tabak. Im Gaumen recht fest, zeigt Tanninmuskeln. Während andere Margaux' auf Charme machen, bleibt er sich selbst treu mit seiner maskulinen Art."

FALSTAFF: " Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, dezente Randaufhellung. Zart nach Karamell, ein Hauch von Nougat, angenehmes dunkles Beerenkonfit unterlegt, etwas Vanille. Saftig, rund und elegant, seidige Tannine, süßer Nachhall, ohne Ecken und Kanten, etwas zerfließender Stil."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Tasted blind. Quite sweet, smoked hickory oak with punch and a bit of drama. Juice and attack. Just scrapes a 17."