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3ème Grand Cru Classé en 1855.
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The Château d'Issan is a magnificent moated estate nestled in the heart of the Margaux vineyard in the Médoc. This wine was notably served in 1152 at the wedding of Eleanor of Aquitaine to Henry Plantagenet of England, and was much appreciated several centuries later by the Prince of Wales in the 1720s, as well as by Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria.
This reputation earned it the following motto on its label: Regum Mensis Aris que Deorum, "For the table of kings and the altar of the gods".
The Château d'Issan was named Third Grand Cru Classé in the famous 1855 classification for Médoc wines.
Today equally owned by the Cruse and Lorenzetti families, the vineyard is planted on a sumptuous deep gravel terroir, with 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec. The wines are aged for 16 to 18 months in French oak barrels, 50% of which are new.
One Second wine, Blason d'Issan, and a third wine, Haut-Médoc d'Issan en appellation Haut-Médoc, are produced by the estate.
The Château d'Issan is renowned for its flamboyant, aristocratic style, where the wines are complex and exquisite.
The 2012 vintage in Bordeaux was mainly characterized by a hot and very dry summer, which followed a cool spring. From August onwards, the weather conditions stabilized and allowed the grapes to follow a good maturation process. The harvest, carried out in a serene way, is very selective so that only the most qualitative grapes are kept.
Blend of the 2012 vintage: 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot.
The color is almost black purple, with elegant garnet reflections.
The nose is worthy of the great Margaux nectars, offering greedy notes of small black fruits, blackberry and fresh mint, followed by tertiary notes of undergrowth and roasting.
The attack is supple and elegant, revealing a rich and creamy body carried by a salivating acidity. Perfectly balanced, offering ripe fruit and dark chocolate flavors wrapped in very fine tannins, it stretches long to a fresh and persistent finish.
Food and wine pairing:
Château d'Issan 2012 would be wonderful with a matured prime rib with chimichurri sauce, Pauillac suckling lamb, confit pig cheek, hare à la royale and truffles or duck breast with pepper sauce.
For a match with cheese, choose uncooked pressed cheeses: Edam, Gouda, Saint-nectaire, morbier, Tomme de Savoie or Salers.
For dessert, finish it off with a black forest, a praline dome or a Russian.
Cellaring potential and tasting:
Château d'Issan 2012 can still benefit from its great aging potential and wait between 2027 and 2030 to mature.
However, it lends itself very well to tasting today. To do so, take care to open and decant the bottle ideally 4 to 5 hours before tasting, and to serve it between 15 and 18°C.
The bottles will be kept in the cellar protected from the light, lying down, with an optimal hygrometric degree of 70%.
