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)

Wonderfully intense fragrance on the nose - violets, blackcurrants and chocolate. Smooth and silky, almost creamy in texture with bite to the tangy strawberry and red cherry fruit. The grip from the tannins takes hold from the mid palate onwards, creating a funnel for the energy and power to surge through ending long and lifted. Lovely winemaking, this has thrust but is packaged really elegantly with the opulence of 2022 clearly on show - especially with a flash of heat on the finish - but balanced freshness and a light touch in the cellar. Bold but seductive nonetheless. (GH)

The deep ruby/purple-hued 2022 Château D'Issan is rock star stuff, offering a massive array of red and black fruits, spring flowers, violets, smoky tobacco, and a beautiful sense of minerality. This full-bodied, powerful, concentrated Issan has a layered, seamless mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, and a great finish. The alcohol here is 14.6% and the pH is a solid 3.6. Give bottles 4-5 years if you can, and it will evolve gracefully over the following three decades.