2022 d'Issan, Margaux

The blend here is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 2% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot, taking a lot of fruit from the parcels outside the clos, the grand vin in this vintage accounting for 54% of the total production. The élevage was in 50% new barrels. A very polished nose here, dark berries coated in dry dark chocolate, with tobacco, black olive and soot complexities, as well as a floral touch, suggestive of peony and mint. A nicely polished palate, medium-bodied, but with a fine and dry extract, with tightly knit tannins wrapped up in ribbons of dark and salted fruits, black olive, tobacco, leather and black pepper, which lies atop a dark and sinewy backbone of tightly knit and energetic tannins. Great length here, the length wrapped up in those tannins, finely defined and tight knit. A very convincing d’Issan which will surely evolve well over the next couple of decades. Absolutely delicious this – one of the best vintages from d’Issan I have tasted. (CK)

2022 is a benchmark year for d’Issan—a remarkable accomplishment given the estate’s many successes over the years. I tend to think of d’Issan as being on the bolder side of Margaux, yet still very much a quintessential reflection of the appellation. The wine opens with aromas of darker fruits—blackberry, tobacco, and subtle savory and floral notes. On the palate, however, it shows much more freshness, purity, and brightness. Those black fruits give way to deep reds, with threads of minerality and plenty of acidity to keep it lively. Textured and deeply flavored, d’Issan’s 2022 captures that magical combination of concentration and elegance that could only come from Bordeaux. A long finish, lined with fine tannins, ties it all together. A scintillating Margaux that speaks volumes about both the great things happening at this estate and the remarkable vintage from which it was born, the 2022 d’Issan is a gorgeous wine. Like many 2022s, it already has an irresistible quality, yet I expect it to enjoy a long, generous drinking window—during which I’m sure many corks will be happily pulled.