Château d'Issan 2020

An unusual vintage

Winter 2020 was mild, recorded as the warmest since the beginning of the 20th century. The vines budded early, between March 10 and 15. Thanks to a particularly sunny and mild March and April, the first flowers appeared on May 11. The end of spring was very rainy, particularly on the weekend of May 8. Like last year, July was sunny and Sec, with veraison beginning on July 7. Mid-August was punctuated by showers, but our vineyards held up well and remained healthy and vigorous. The late season was ideal, with a beneficial thermal amplitude enabling our grapes to reach optimal ripeness and balance.

A step ahead

The early spring was reflected in the start of the harvest on September 17. As early as June, we envisaged a harvest three weeks ahead of schedule. With a very hot July (dry), the vines slowed their pace. By September, cycle progression had been reduced to around ten days. Initial analyses are comparable to 2015. The Merlot harvest will take place from September 17 to 24 in the heart of our historic Clos d'Issan plots. A memorable year at Issan, as for the first time we harvested Malbec on September 21, Petit Verdot on September 24 and Cabernet Franc on September 28. They'll add subtlety and complexity to our blend! Finally, we finished with the Cabernet Sauvignon from September 28 to October 2. These pretty, concentrated berries, hand-picked by our grape-pickers, were delicately transported to the heart of our gravity-fed vat room. This was followed by parcel-by-parcel vinification in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats. These will continue for 3 weeks, revealing a wine of exquisite richness!

The 2020 revelation

Our blending took place on January 6 with Eric Boissenot and the team at Château: this vintage is a real revelation! With its subtle aromas of gourmet fruit, this wine embodies the expression and "quintessence" of the Margaux terroir. Precision and elegance come together to reveal an explosion of flavors. Delicate, harmonious tannins envelop the palate, giving way to a long, voluptuous finish. A sumptuous vintage!