Château d'Issan 2018

Special Price $74.85 Average US Price $85.00
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SKU
2758-2018
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• Domaine: Château d'Issan
• Appellation: Margaux
• Classification: Third Growth, 3ème Grand Cru Classé
• Origin: Left Bank, Bordeaux, France 

The historic grounds of Château d’Issan are unquestionably some of the most resplendent and breathtaking in the Médoc.  With its gothic towers and moats, visiting Château d’Issan is a bit like traveling back in time.  Château d’Issan is one of the oldest châteaux in Bordeaux, and its history is as rich and powerful as its wines.  Though the wines were forgettable in the 1980s, they have skyrocketed in terms of quality in recent years.  Robert Parker Jr, the famed wine critic has stated when Château d’Issan produces good vintages, their wines are undoubtedly some of the greatest in all of Bordeaux.  It is no surprise that the motto of this estate engraved above the château door is, "Regum Mensis Aris Que Deorum“ which means - "for the tables of kings and altars of the gods.” 

Records of Château d’Issan date as far back to 1152, when the wine was served at the wedding of Elenore of Aquitaine to King Henry II.  At the time, the estate was known as Château Lamothe Cantenac.  Starting in the year 1575, Château d’Issan was acquired by the Essenault family who named it Château d’Issan – a contraction of their surname.  Stories of Château d’Issan and its legendary wines were told around the world and eventually Thomas Jefferson toured the estate and sang its praises during his trip to Bordeaux.   The Château was ranked as a Third Growth during Napoleon’s 1855 Classification, and a little over ten years later it was acquired by Gustave Roy. Gustave Roy had the first gravity fed cellars built and began the tremendous undertaking of replanting the vineyards that had been ravaged by phylloxera. Eventually the estate was taken over by the Cruse family, who still supervise the Château d’Issan today.

When Emmanuel Issan took over the estate in the 1990s, the quality of these wines began to gradually improve.  The estate introduced a Second Wine called Blason d’Issan in 1995, to improve the quality of the grand vin.  The alluvial  and gravel soils in the vineyards are planted with 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot.  Weather is fairly mild here, due to the moderating influence of the Gironde Estuary, and this serves to the vines’ advantage.  The 1999 and 2000 vintages were astounding.  The vineyard is 59 hectares total – with 44 hectares in the Margaux appellation, 5 hectares in Haut Médoc and 10 hectares that are considered Bordeaux Supérieur.  The grapes are harvested by hand every autumn by acquaintances, neighbors, family and friends.  Château d’Issan also has a partnership with a school in Denmark, where several students come to work the harvest.  The grapes are then sorted onto a vibrating table and then off they go into their gravity fed wine making facilities.  

There is a specific freshness that is associated with the wines of Château d’Issan and the gorgeous, femininely floral traits synonymous with a Margaux. Their wines are elegant, and a bit more restrained with medium body and not too heavy tannins.  Many critics often laud the wines of Château d’Issan for delivering great quality for value.

Tasting Notes

"An explosive, dense wine, the 2018 d'Issan possesses off the charts richness and fabulous intensity. A rush of blue/black fruit, chocolate, smoke, spice, leather and tobacco builds in a potent Margaux endowed with tremendous concentration and pure, unbridled power. The 2018 is an unusually brooding, somber d'Issan that is likely to require a number of years to be at its best. Today, it is compelling, even in the early going." - Antonio Galloni, vinous.com, (April, 2019), Ratings: 92-95

"The 2018 D'Issan is composed of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot, aging in 50% new and 50% second year barrels for an estimated 18 months. With 13.97% alcohol and a deep garnet-purple color, it features baked berries, warm cherries and cassis with spice box and fragrant earth plus tea hints. Medium to full-bodied, it has a great core of muscular fruit with firm, fine-grained tannins, with nice freshness, finishing layered with mineral notions." - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (4/23/2019, Bordeaux 2018 Issue), Ratings: 94-96

"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." Jeb Dunnuck, 2018 Bordeaux From The Bottle (3/11/2021) Rating: 95

More Information
LWIN 1011654
Stock Status In Stock
Appellation Margaux
Vintage 2018
Brand Chateau d'Issan
Shipping Weight 3.000000
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Margaux is well known for its prime location in the Haut-Médoc subregion on the Left Bank along the Gironde estuary, which provides a temperate maritime climate and ideal conditions for grape cultivation. The cultivation of vines and wine production in Margaux can be traced back to Roman times. However, during the Middle Ages, the wine industry in Bordeaux began to take shape, and centuries later, Margaux continued to build its reputation as a premier wine appellation throughout the 20th century. 

Margaux is known for its diverse and complex terroir, with gravelly, sandy, and clay-rich soils. The gravelly soils provide excellent drainage and heat retention, particularly favorable for the ripening of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, the primary grape variety grown in Margaux.

Margaux is celebrated for producing elegant and refined red wines. These wines are often described as having a delicate and perfumed character, with aromas of blackcurrant, violets, and other red and black fruits. They are known for their balance, finesse, and exceptional aging potential.

The appellation gained international recognition for producing some of the world's finest wines. Its namesake champion, Château Margaux, was named in 1855 as one of the original First Growths (Premiers Crus). In addition, Margaux is home to these classified estates: Château Palmer, Château Rauzan-Ségla, Château Rauzan-Gassies, Château Durfort-Vivens, Château Lascombes, Château Brane-CantenacChâteau Giscours, Château Kirwan, Château d'Issan, Château Malescot St.-Exupery, Château Cantenac Brown, Château Desmirail, Château Ferriere, Château Marquis d'Alesme, Château Boyd-Cantenac, Château Prieuré-Lichine, Château Marquis de Terme, Château Dauzac.

Footnotes on Futures, Pre-Arrivals, and potential US Tariffs: 

1. As of June 15, 2021, the US and the EU agreed to suspend tariffs resulting from the Boeing-Airbus aircraft trade disputes. Accordingly, such import taxes are now suspended for the next five years.

2. Futures are expected to be available for delivery two years after the sales (e.g., the 2022 vintage, sold in 2023, will be delivered in 2025 mostly, or 2026 if the producer ages the wine longer).

3. Pre-Arrivals are items currently stored in our Bordeaux cellar or in transit from France to the US. It usually takes 1-6 months for Pre-Arrivals to become available for delivery, depending on the stage of the import process.

4. Regarding futures and pre-arrivals, we cannot guarantee specific delivery dates, which factors beyond our control may impact. However, we will notify you once your wine arrives in our cellar.

5. While a buyer of Bordeaux wine futures locks in an allocation of the specified items, the final delivery of the purchased items from France to the US may be impacted by intervening and unforeseeable events. Despite our due diligence, additional costs or delays may be caused by such intervening and unforeseen events and "an irresistible, superhuman cause, or by the act of public enemies of the state of California or the United States."  In such circumstances, if a buyer does not accept unforeseeable costs or delays, the sole and exclusive remedy is a cancellation of the futures order concerned and a refund of the original purchase price. We are NOT liable for any lost profits on a canceled order.

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