Chateau d'Issan Margaux

With a vibrant purple colour, Moulin d'Issan has ripe, expressive mulberry and pomegranate aromas, as well as suggestions of oyster shell, seared steak and toasted oak In the mouth, it is soft, silky and succulent yet dry, savoury and refreshing An absolutely delicious, classic Bordeaux that is ready to drink now and over the next 1-2 years, this is a genuine bargain from the excellent Margaux Grand Cru Classe, Chateau d'Issan It comes from part of d'Issan's land which is contiguous with the Margaux vineyards, but situated closer to the Gironde estuary, which is why (1) it is a Bordeaux Superieur not Margaux and (2) it is such great value It is named for the estate's 17th Century windmill, the ruins of which are still in the middle of the vineyard

This has lovely, fragrant raspberry fruit and leaf aromas, opening up to wonderful savoury complexity and impressive concentration Delicious, succulent, quite powerful yet silky-textured, this is a beautiful Margaux to enjoy now and over the next five years or longer The Blason d'Issan label was introduced by Chateau d'Issan from 1995 onwards to enable greater selection amongst the property's vines growing in the Margaux appellation area Fruit from the younger vines is used to produce this wine, which respects the identity of its terroir, while offering a tasty round fruitiness, which can be enjoyed earlier than the 'grand vin' It is aged in barrels for 14 to 16 months, one third of which are new

Beautiful deep, intense colour The nose reveals blackcurrant and blueberry aromas Elegant and fresh on the palate, with soft tannins and great length The style of the wine clearly displays its distinctive 'terroir' This fairytale moated chateau is one of the oldest in the region In 1152, its wine was served at the wedding of Eleanor of Acquitane to King Henry II, signifying the start of a special relationship between Bordeaux and England that has endured for more than 800 years In 1855, d'Issan was received recognition as a 'troisieme cru classe' in the official classification of Bordeaux wines The estate was purchased by the Cruse family in 1945, and is today run by Emmanuel Cruse The vineyard covers 44 hectares and comprises approximately 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot The grand vin spends around 18 months in oak barriques, of which half are new The wine is quintessential Margaux, and represents outstanding value next to Chateaux Margaux and Palmer