Not sure what possessed me to pop this one, they really should sleep at this point, but damn is it really fine.
Palpable essences of rose petals. A distinct minty top note over freshly tilled soils. Puree of red fruits. Such cool climate aromatics on this wine. Palate is medium weight, maybe just a little diffusion on the mid-palate. Fans out more on the periphery. Fresh acids supporting a range of red to dark fruits, finishing with a sweet but fresh display of liquor. Like an aperitif meant to awaken the palate. Tannins are present but sweet and chalky.
I am a fan of D’Issan. When, I was younger, I bought a lot of wines from St. Julian and Pauillac. While I still love those, I buy much more wines from Margaux than I used to buy. From 2016, I have bought wines from Rauzan Segla, Brane Cantenac, Ferriere, Durfort-Vivens, Prieure Lichine and D’Issan.
I have found myself in the same boat. I love what comes out of Margaux these days and think part of that is that these wines are the closest thing we have to vintages we developed our palates with. A little lighter, more fragrant wines. Also, the prices have certainly been fair, delivering some great values. And finally, these do seem to be less reticent in general, which becomes an advantage after a certain age!
I agree with you that many wines in Margaux tend to make wines in more elegant styles - more like the Bordeauxs I grew up with.
Also, as you said, there seem to be a lot of excellent values with the wines of Margaux. When I was younger, it seemed like many Margaux estates were considered underachievers. That reputation still seems to be around to some extent today even with wineries producing high quality wine. The result is that in many cases the wines (other than Margaux and Palmer) tend to be priced lower than Bordeauxs of similar quality from other top villages.
Likewise, Howard and Gregory. Margaux used to be my least favorite appellation. Now it is way up there. So many wonderful producers totally on point in recent vintages. Durfort-Vivens could be my fave of recent vintages. Incredibly elegant, floral and fragrant, with palpable veins of red fruit even in the more ripe vintages like 2019.
I love D’Issan, Brane Cantenac, and Ferriere, will have to take a look for some Dufort to try. Rauzan is pushing out of my typical Bordeaux budget range though. Prieure Lichine on the other hand has proven to be the best bang for buck for sharing with less experienced palates. While not the P-L of the 1980s through early 1990s when they were previously on my radar, the wines are lovely, perhaps more delicious than lovely, but the appeal they have is so immediate and wide spread that they are a no brainer buy for me. And the prices have been exceptionally reasonable to boot!
I also have a soft spot for Giscours and Kirwan, and even for Boyd Cantenac, which while never the most Margaux of wines did strike a chord with me for it’s classic style, which it has mostly retained through the most recent vintages I have tried, ending with the 2017.
I bought Rauzan in 16, 19 and 20, but yes at those prices I’m not randomly checking in on them, I am giving them their 15+ year due. I can’t keep my hands off Ferriere! Good call on Giscours, they seem to be back on form. I was turned off by the 09/10 versions.
Strange.
I liked Giscours 2010, but not the ‘09. Generally true for the whole appellation. Palmer 2010 was the finest young Palmer I have tasted. Rauzan, Brane Cantenac and Issan were really good, and Palmer’s Alter Ego was the only vintage I would buy.
I think these are very tough vintages for classic wine to shine. The 2009 Palmer, which I’ve had twice over the last year or so, was way OTT. I have not tried the 2010 Palmer, but given the style of wine, making at that state, I would not be going after it in the big vintages.
Margaux is brimming full of great wines outside the Big Two!
Yes, I think it’s difficult not to like Issan! Such a charming style and so consistent too. Such a lovely place to visit, unlike some. Robert captures the essence of the 2016 perfectly.
Giscours is one of my favourites in spite of its inconsistency (I more than concur about the 09). I think it’ll be an address to follow even more closely now they have finally got full control over everything as I imagine there will be a lot of future investments in the winery.
Wines like Brane and Rauzan are wonderful too of course, likewise Ferrière and Durfort, although older vintages of the latter are not in the same style as the more recent ones.
I haven’t tried Kirwan since they got rid of Rolland and would be curious to know what it’s like now.
Prieuré-Lichine is great value and can produce sterling wines - and I like their white too.
I’ve rediscovered Marquis de Terme in the last year and been impressed - even the 09 is good.
I’m less enamoured with Boyd and Cantenac Brown, although they can be good.
Dauzac is a crappy place to visit but does produce very decent wines (the 00 is vastly underrated as is the 06).
Even lowly Desmirail produced a very decent 2016 at a great price.
Du Tertre can be very good too
Rauzan-Gassies can produce lovely wines, but it’s probably the only CC that I would be really happy to see bought by a big insurance company.
I don’t know much about Malescot and Marquis d’Alesme, never having enjoyed the wines I’ve tasted, but I think the only CC I have really avoided like the plague is Lascombes, although I would be curious to try recent vintages since the change of ownership.
Pouget of course is a complete UFO!
Where Margaux as a whole really shines is outside the CCs, with so many good addresses. Each to their own as the styles vary considerably, but my favourites apart from BAMA of course would be Clos du Jaugueyron, Siran, Closerie des Moussis and Gravies, in recent vintages.
Same here. Part of it is that the quality has increased and there is a usually a higher percentage of Merlot in the blend, versus St. Julien or Pauillac, which makes them a little more approachable.
And, Liam Neeson was pouring d’Issan at the dinner in the first Taken movie, so how can one go wrong with it?
Whoa! That must have been epic!! The oldest Kirwan I’ve had was an 85, which was very elegant and floral, light years from what it became in the 90s with our good friend Michel.
I’ve never had a 1945 unfortunately. Once upon a time back in the early 90s, I was dining in Cambridge with my wife in a rather old hotel, of which I forget the name. I looked at the wine list out of interest and noticed a bottle of Latour 1945 on offer for £200. I did think it was pretty good value, but this was long before I had any real idea of prices and did nothing more. My jaw dropped a few weeks later when I looked up the current price (even then)! This probably explains why I later became a humble university lecturer.
