Château d'Issan Margaux Blason d'Issan 2023 750ml

Blason d'Issan — Margaux, Bordeaux 2023

Château d'Issan is one of Margaux's most historic and romantic estates — a Third Growth (3ème Cru Classé) of the 1855 Classification, whose motto Regum Mensis Arisque Deorum (“For the tables of kings and the altars of gods”) speaks to centuries of prestige. Blason d'Issan is the estate's second wine, crafted to express the same Margaux elegance and precision as the Grand Vin at a more accessible price point. The 2023 vintage marks a historic moment for the estate: the first vintage since the acquisition of neighbouring Pontac Lynch in 2020 not to include Malbec in the blend, returning to a purer expression of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Aged in 50% new oak with a yield of 30–32 hl/h, the 2023 Blason is a wine of extraordinary purity, precision, and promise.

The nose is wonderfully pure: blackcurrants, orange peel, raspberries, dark berries, cassis, pen ink, and white flowers — aromatic, vivid, and deeply expressive. On the palate, it is medium to full-bodied with chewy, powdery tannins of exceptional quality, lively acidity, and a rich, fleshy, charming texture. Notes of cocoa bean, liquorice root, and oyster shell salinity add complexity and classical Margaux balance. The finish is long, silky, sapid, and utterly precise.

🏆 James Suckling 96–97 — "The purity of the fruit is really wonderful. Blackcurrants, orange peel and raspberries. Full body, chewy tannins and a juicy finish. Linear and vivid. The quality of the tannins and the powdery texture are really alluring. Silky. And so precise." (Vintage 2023).

🏆 Jane Anson 95 — Inside Bordeaux. "Fine tannins, well balanced, inky and powerful but with oyster shell salinity. Chalky tannins, well constructed, full of cocoa bean, cassis, liquorice root, classical balance." (Vintage 2023). 

🏆 Wine Advocate 93–95 — William Kelley. "Aromas of dark berries, cassis, pen ink and white flowers. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and enveloping — rich, fleshy and charming, with lively acids, good depth and a long, sapid finish." (Vintage 2023). 

• Producer: Château d'Issan, Margaux, Bordeaux, France
• Vintage: 2023
• Appellation: Margaux AOC
• Classification: 2nd Wine of Château d'Issan (1855 Third Growth)
• Blend: 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 2.5% Cabernet Franc, 2.5% Petit Verdot
• Maturation: 50% new oak
• ABV: 13.83%
• Size: 750ml
• Tasting Notes: Blackcurrant, cassis, orange peel, raspberry, dark berries, cocoa bean, liquorice root, oyster shell, silky finish
• Drink: 2026–2035
• Best Paired With: Roast lamb, beef tenderloin, duck confit, truffle dishes, aged hard cheeses

Margaux precision at its finest — Blason d'Issan 2023 is vivid, silky, and one of the great second wine values in Bordeaux.