2016 Chateau d'Issan 3eme Cru Classe, Margaux

Château d’Issan maintains a rigorous parcel-by-parcel approach to viticulture, employing traditional Médoc pruning and careful canopy management to ensure physiological maturity across their gravel-dominant terroir in the heart of Margaux. The 2016 growing season was defined by a wet winter and spring, followed by an arid, sun-drenched summer and a crucial Indian summer that allowed the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot to achieve optimal ripeness while retaining necessary acid levels. In the cellar, this 3ème Cru Classé undergoes gravity-fed, plot-specific fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats, followed by eighteen months of aging in fifty percent new French oak. The resulting structure is characterized by firm, fine-grained tannins, marked mid-palate density, and a structural tension that reflects the vintage’s ability to marry concentration with persistent, lifted acidity.