Blason d'Issan 2020

Dried oranges and plums with bark, mushroom and forest floor aromas that follow through to a medium to full body with a dense finish and excellent energy. Spices such as nutmeg and sandalwood. Some chocolate, too. 57% merlot, 40% cabernet sauvignon and 3% petit verdot. Best after 2025.

The 2020 Blason d'Issan has opened up nicely on the nose since I tasted this en primeur. It shows a mix of red and black fruit, pencil box, vanilla pod, and just a hint of India ink. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, perhaps a touch of rusticity here, and quite a peppery finish. It will just need a year to smooth out its edges.

Deep ruby, opaque core, purple reflections, faint brightening on the rim. Fresh red-berry nuances, gentle herbal savouriness, tobacco nuances, a hint of liquorice. Juicy, elegant, fine blackberry notes, firm, somewhat demanding tannins, mineral on the finish, delicately salty, dark chocolate on the aftertaste.

Plenty of character and punch, with evident tannins, serious in style softened by autumnal fruits, espresso and dark chocolate. Less exuberant in its aromatic profile than the 2019 vintage of this wine, a more classic take on Blason d'Issan, with grip and poise, showing undergrowth and grilled sandalwood on the finish. Eric Boissenot consultant. They have begun a program of massal selection from their oldest (1948) Petit Verdot vines that arrived with the purchase of neighboring Château Pontac Lynch, to be planted in the main walled vineyard known as L'Enclos. Harvest from September 17 to October 2, yield of 38.5 hl/ha.

The 2020 Blason d’Issan is deep garnet-purple in color. It features uncomplicated notes of stewed cherries and plums, with hints of underbrush and chargrilled meats. Medium-bodied, the palate delivers a good amount of black fruits with a soft, well-managed texture and a peppery kick to the finish.

In its constant drive for progress, Château d’Issan ensures consistent quality at every level. Thus, Blason d’Issan is a true ambassador proudly bearing the estate’s colors! Delicate and expressive, the wine offers a palate firmly supported by velvety, fleshy tannins. Its charming character naturally lends itself to early drinking, though one might still forget a bottle or two in the cellar.

Seductive aromatics, good balance across the palate, this is enjoyable. Petit Verdot for the first time in the blend, from the Pontac-Lynch vines. This has lovely depth and breadth on the palate, one of the better second wines. With the addition of new plots and new grapes, they carried out many more blending sessions than usual, particularly to decide whether to add the 1% Malbec to the first wine (most of this information needs to be moved to the Issan entry). Mainly young vines in this wine, Merlot-oriented. This year they added 7ha of vines (as of March, from Pontac-Lynch, including a 1948 plot of Petit Verdot and a 1958 Cabernet Franc, plus 1% Malbec that has gone into the blend of the 1st wine). Harvest from September 17 through to October 2. Yield of 38.5hl/ha (last year was 50hl/ha).