| 93 Points: “Very pretty and finely formed with currant, cherry and raspberry character. Medium to full body, firm and silky tannins and a long and fresh finish. Fine textured. Lovely
second wine for d’Issan.” – James Suckling (February 2019)
FROM THE WINERY
Blason d’Issan, our second wine, was introduced from 1995 onwards to enable selection amongst our vines growing in the Margaux appellation area. Fruit from our youngest 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. Blason d’Issan is also aged in barrels for 14 to 16 months, one third of which are new. Annual production is around 120,000
bottles.
An unparalleled summer
The Medoc vineyards “enjoyed” continuous rain from 1st January to the beginning of June! The drainage work carried out in 1995 on the Chateau d’Issan estate, makes it possible to regulate the amount of water irrigating each plot. The vines’ roots reach down very deep, which makes their water supply regular. The rain stopped in the first week of June and flowering was uniform and abundant.
Lasting sunshine began from 20th June onwards. The whole summer was dry and hot until 13th September, when heaven-sent rain brought much-needed water to the vines. 33 mm of rainfall covered the estate evenly, waking up the vines and kick-starting the ripening process.
The strength of the Château d’Issan estate 85% of the vines that grow here are more than 25 years old. We noticed no stress from
lack of water and the vines’ growth cycle was uninterrupted. Thanks to the water reserves contained in the soil that had built up during the first half of the year, the vineyard was ready for harvesting to start with no precipitation. The Indian summer that followed, the reliability of the weather forecasts and the substantial variation between daytime and night temperatures throughout September, peaking at a difference of 20°C, all enabled the grape tannins to ripen slowly step by step.
The harvest was very similar to that of 2010, but volumes were higher! In 2016, picking began on 29th September and finished on 19th October. Yields were good, mainly as a result of good weather and short, even flowering. When the fruit was tasted on the vines, from the outset the vintage was recognized to be very promising without the grapes appearing overripe from the summer heat and drought. 2016 is a vintage with outstanding balance.
BLEND: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
ALCOHOL: 13.38%
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