Blason D’Issan Margaux

Blason D’Issan Margaux 2022

Following the gala UGCB 2022 Vintage Release Tour 2025 Chicago tasting last week of the 2022 Bordeaux vintage release wines, which were generally outstanding, I went to Binny’s, our local beverage/wine superstore and found several labels of the new release already arrived and in stock. I picked up this wine as part of a mixed case of labels to try as I consider my acquisition plans for the vintage. 

With take-out Waygu Meatloal from our visit the other day to Entourage Restaurant in Downers Grove, I pulled this bottle to pair and taste. 

Blason D’Issan Margaux 2022

This is the second wine of Château d’Issan,  a Third Growth of the 1855 Imperial Classification. Château d’Issan is in the heart of the Margaux appellation, less than three kilometers, walking distance from the Chambres de Margaux in the middle of the village, our Bed and Breakfast where we stayed during out visit to the area in the summer of 2019. 

The Château d’Issan enclosure in the middle of the Margaux appellation, sitting midway between the village of Margaux and the Gironde River. The soil there is mainly made up of surface gravel on top of a clay subsoil, which contributes to optimal ripeness and freshness in the grapes. 

The estate is planted to  Cabernet Sauvignon 65% and Merlot 35%. 

Blason d’Issan is the ‘second wine’ of Château d’Issan, first introduced in 1995, and onwards, to enable selection amongst their vines growing in the Margaux appellation area. Fruit from their youngest vines is used to produce this wine, which represents the identity of its terroir, while offering a tasty round fruitiness, which can be enjoyed earlier. 

Second wines, while less discriminating than the grand vin, offer a broadening of the portfolio, taking advantage as an outlet for the younger, and less select grapes, and an entry level wine to introduce the brand, at a lower price point, thereby, especially in years such as this delivers high QPR - Quality Price Ratio.. 

The blend for this release is 55% Merlot, 44% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Petit Verdot. Blason d’Issan ‘22 was aged in barrels for 14 to 16 months, one third of which were new. Annual production is around 120,000 bottles (10,000 cases).

As I wrote in my review of the UGCB 2022 Vintage Release tasting last week, this is a top rated vintage with many extraordinary wines. As is often the case in such highly rated vintages, ‘all boats rise with the tide’, and there are many great values as the second and lesser labels of the top producers are also of high quality, even shrinking the difference between them and the top flaghip grand vins. This is reiterated by Wayne Kelly of Wine Advocate in his review of this second wine of Chateau D’Issan, Margaux. Kelly of Wine Advocate wrote, “ An attractive effort that shares some of the style and personality of the grand vin this year.”

Similarly, Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media wrote, “The 2022 Blason d'Issan is a soft, easygoing wine that shows the more charming side of the vintage off to great effect.”

Blason D’Issan Margaux 2022

This release was rated 94-95 by James Suckling, 92 by Decanter and Inside Bordeaux, and a concensus 89-91 by Wine Advocate, Wine Independant, Vinous and Jeb Dunnuck. 

Deep garnet-purple color. medium to full-bodied, a bit tightly structured, concentrated full round dark blackberry and blackcurrant fruit, notes of dark mocha chocolate, spice, dusty rose, hints of tapenade with cigar box, powdery soft, approachable tannins on a structured finish. 

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?4641185

https://www.chateau-issan.com/en/

Family dinner features latest Bordeaux Releases, limited production No-Cal labels

Family celebration gathering features latest Bordeaux Releases and some limited production No-Cal labels 

The family gathered at Alec and Vivianna’s after the Church Dedication Service for daughter/grand-daughter Millie. 

They served beef tenderloin, salmon, mixed green salad and wide assortment of artisan cheeses, chips and dips and snacks. My absolute favorite, which was a perfect pairing with the vibrant Bordeaux, besides the tenderloin, was an authentic aged English Stilton cheese! 

I took for the occasion two labels of the recently released 2022 vintage Bordeaux, just acquired as part of an assorted mix case, following the UGCB 2022 Vintage Release Tour 2025 Chicago tasting this week. 

Selection of mixed case 2022 release Bordeaux

I tasted several of the new vintage release wines reported on the spectacular outcomes and was eager to try and share some of the new labels with son’s and fellow collectors. 

The first label I chose to share was WOTN by one of the top merchant’s representatives from the results published and distributed to patrons last week - Domaine Chevalier. Its also a label with which we have much affinity and history.

The other label was one I found to provide leading QPR - Quality Price Ratio, based on the highest rating from CT’ers and the affordable price-point - Chateau Tronquoy. 

In addition to these two labels, Alec opened a unique, interesting red blend from Sonoma County, from a large format magnum - Tesoro Red Blend. 

The other label Alec shared was another unique limited production Red Blend from Napa Valley Howell Mountain - Trio from Bravante Vineyards.

Domaine de Chevalier, Pessac-Léognan 2022 

We’ve been collecting this wine for several decades going back to the eighties. We’ve met producer Olivier Bernard at many UGCB and other tasting events over the last two decades. 

A highlight of our meetings with Bernard was attending a special Darioush - Domain Chevalier wine dinner at Everest in Chicago. The gala Darioush - Domaine de Chevalier Gala Winemaker dinner at Everest Restaurant in Chicago back in the summer of 2004 was a fabulous private dinner hosted by Darius & Shaptar Kaledi of Darioush Winery and Olivier Bernard of Domaine de Chevalier, celebrating their collaboration. Chef Joho prepared a special dinner featuring and complementing their wines poured by Darioush winemaker Steve McDevitt.

I chose this label also because it represents two generations of wine production and collecting - with next generation Hugo Bernard of Domaine Chevalier, and our son Ryan. We first met Hugo when Ryan joined me for the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux Chicago back in 2015. In addition to Ryan and me attending together, that year marked the rare attendance by both Bernard and son Hugo, as part of partially passing the baton to the next generation. 

With Bernard at UGCB in 2015

Last week, Hugo was pouring tonight’s wine at this year’s event - UGCB 2022 Vintage Release Tour 2025 Comes to Chicago.

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Also, this is a one-of special release featuring a new, one-of special label celebrating Olivier Bernard's 40th year at the château and his 40th vintage. Hugo explained it shows a painting of a gallant horse that hangs in a gallery in Paris, representing Chevalier, which translated means knight, horseman or ‘gallant gentleman’.

As Olivier says about the estate, “Domaine de Chevalier is located in a clearing in the middle of a forest that protects the vines from extremes of temperature. In fact Chevalier is a sort of secret garden, far from the limelight. This is something of a paradox for such an excellent wine, among the greatest in Bordeaux. 

Only a great terroir can produce a great wine... I often start out with these words when speaking about Domaine de Chevalier. They convey our fundamental philosophy, not only with regard to viticulture, but also the spirit that pervades the estate and the men and women who work here. They improve their already considerable skills year after year on behalf of that which is most essential to a fine wine; in my opinion balance.”

This may represent the greatest vintage release of this label in decades, perhaps the best under the ‘reign’ of Bernard. 

This year’s extraordinary blockbuster release was awarded 98-99 points by James Suckling, 96-98 points by Jeb Dunnuck, 95-97 points by Vinous, 96 points by Joan Anson, 94-96 points by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, and 95 points by Decanter.

While this amazing wine should reward aging for decades, it’s approachable and delicious today for early, instant gratification, which seems to be the case with many releases of this vintage. 

Serve this at proper temperature (eight to ten degrees below room temperature, and let it open and settle for an hour beforehand. 

This vintage release is a traditional left Bank Bordeaux blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc.

Bright deep ruby purple colored, medium full bodied, structured, layered, concentrated, powerful and vibrant yet silky smooth, polished and approachable, rich ripe black and red berry fruits accented by brilliant aromatics, crème de cassis, truffle, graphite, smoke, tobacco, and damp earth, with silky mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, and a great finish. 

RM 95 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4641915

https://www.domainedechevalier.com/en

Chateau Tronquoy St-Estèphe 2022 

Folks may know this by its historic traditional Tronquoy-Lalande name, this is the first vintage without the 'Lalande' part of the name.

Negociant Justerini and Brooks profiles the producer and estate. “The wine growing estate is one of the oldest in the Saint-Estèphe region, originally built for the Tronquoy family in the 18th century. It saw many owners until 1968 when it was bought by Jean and Arlette Textier and run for 40 years.”

“Martin and Olivier Bouygues purchased the property in 2006 with a vision to bring it into the modern era. They started a large-scale renovation including the construction of a great barrel hall and a new vat house. Today, the estate has become the latest success story to emanate from Saint-Estèphe.”

This St Estephe property is owned by the Bouygues family and run by the team at Montrose. 

Located in the heart of the Saint-Estèphe appellation, just south of the village, Château Tronquoy has a vineyard spanning 74 acres. 

We drove through the village and the surrounding estates and vineyards during our tour of the area during our visit in 2019.

This release was rated 94-96 points by Jeb Dunnuck, 93-95 by Neal Martin of Vinous, 93 points by Jane Anson of Inside Bordeaux,  92-93 points by James Suckling, Wine Advocate gave it 89-91 points, but a blockbuster 95+ by Cellartrackers who typically are more moderate than the pundits in their assessment. 

Neal Martin of Vinous wrote, “This is an outstanding Saint-Estèphe determined not to lie in the shadow of its sibling Montrose. One of the spiciest Tronquoy-Lalandes for some time, with a peacock's tail on the finish.” 

This is classic example where ‘all boats rise with the tide’, as more moderately priced labels get high marks and the difference between premium grand vin and second labels shrinks, resulting in a high QPR - Quality Price Ratio. A blockbuster wine for serious every day sipping. 

One pundit wrote “Some wines are for that special occasion, but Tronquoy 2022 is your new everyday friend.” Another wrote, “The 2022 Tronquoy is a gorgeous wine, one of the best in recent memory.” 

This release is a traditional Left Bank Bordeaux blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon (usually the blend is mainly Merlot), 35% Merlot, and 6% Petit Verdot.

The 2022 Tronquoy-Lalande comes in a new bottle design with a wax capsule. 

Dark garnet purple colored, full bodied, firm structured,, intense, concentrated, complex yet balanced and approachable, super ripe blackberry, black currant and black cherry fruits with spicy cinnamon, cassis, allspice, licorice, bitter dark chocolate and dried herbs on the well behaved fine tannin laced finish. 

RM 95 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4626459

https://www.tronquoy-lalande.com/en/

More to follow … I write about the Bravante Vineyards Trio Howell Mtn Red in this follow on post, and  Muscardini Cellars Tesoro Proprietary Red Blend in this separate follow on post. 

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Steak Dinner at The Wine Bar Destin

Steak Dinner at The Wine Bar Destin 

Following the delightful and superbly staged Tour of Bordeaux Wine Dinner at The Wine Bar Destin, the other night, we returned later in the week, our last night Destin before returning home, for grilled beef steak dinner.  

We opened with their delightful Pear Blue Cheese Spinach Salad with fresh berries, sliced pears and vinagrette.

For an entree we had the Wine Bar Filet - 8 oz hand cut filet of beef tenderloin with Roasted Rosemary Fingerling Potato’s and Asparagus Spears. This was delicious, perfectly prepared, presented and served. 

For a wine accompaniment with our dinner we took advantage of the Wine Happy Hour where they serve a 12oz carafe of wine for the price of a large glass, from a broad extensive selection of wines of each varietal from across all the major growing regions in the world.

We selected a Right Bank St Emilion Bordeaux which as expected, turned out to be a perfect pairing to complement the meal, and enhance the enjoyment of the wine. 

Like the carefully selected flight of Bordeaux wines from the curated wine dinner, this was an excellent offering of a high QPR (Quality Price Ratio) wine. 

Chateau Angelus Tempo d'Angelus 2022

Tempo d’Angelus is a ‘second wine’ (actually a ‘third’ entry level label), a more streamlined version of its illustrious older siblings, Château Angelus and Carillon d’Angelus. While being their lesser wine, it still exhibited the characteristic depth and complexity of the Grand Vin, while offering at the same time a more approachable and affordable alternative. Produced from the great Angelus terroirs and made with the expertise of the estate’s teams, Tempo d’Angelus offers even the most demanding wine lover instant or early gratification in an attractive, well-structured, precise and hedonistic wine that doesn’t require 15 or 20 years of cellaring to be enjoyed at its peak, as is often the case for the Grand Cru wines.

This is a new wine from Chateau Angélus, from the area of Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux, it is produced from vines located at Saint-Magne-de-Castillon, Castillon-La-Bataille and Sainte-Colombe, a few kilometres from Saint-Émilion, on magnificent clay-limestone slopes. These plots were acquired by Angelus in 2017 with the precise purpose of creating a Bordeaux appellation wine while increasing the Angelus portfolio, and offering an introduction to the brand for more cost conscious consumers. This can be enjoyed at a fraction of the price of the Grand Vin and even the second label. 

From south-facing holdings in the Castillon-Côtes-de-Bordeaux AOC, the fruit is declassified into generic Bordeaux. In the tradition of the Right bank, the blend is 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. 

This release was awarded 92 points by pundit James Suckling, and 90 points by Decanter, Jeb Dunnuck and The Wine Advocate. 

Winemaker Notes: This new addition to the range of wines of Château Angélus, made under the Bordeaux appellation, offers a more streamlined version of its illustrious elders -Angélus, Carillon d’Angélus and N°3 d’Angélus, with which it shares the same depth and complexity while being at the same time more approachable young.

Dark garnet colored, medium to full bodied, bright vibrant silky smooth polished, balanced black raspberry and currant fruits with spicy notes of herbs, limestone and pencil lead graphite, with firm but polished nicely integrated tannins on a lingering flavorful finish.

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?4945654

https://www.thewinebarfl.com/

Tensley Santa Barbara Syrah 2022

Tensley Santa Barbara Syrah 2022

Saturday night, we babysat for grandkids as the kids attended cooking class at Sur La Table. We took carry-out dinners from Mariano’s and a favored producer latest release wine. 

We first discovered and wrote about this producer, Tensley, and the then release of this wine in this blogpost in these pages back in the Spring of 2022 - Tensley Santa Barbara County Wines.

While we are members of their wine club and receive periodic allocation shipments, we found this release and acquired it at our local Binny’s Beverage superstore. 

This exceeded my expectations, was much better than expected, a perfect compliment to bbq ribs and roasted corn, so I went back and picked up several more bottles. We have an extensive collection of Tensley wines from our wine club shipments, and we tend to clean them out of all the available Tensley Colson Canyon label when we visit Total Wine stores in Nora, (Indy) and Pensacola. 

This is their basic standard label, a blend sourced from their five different vineyard sites, it provides enjoyable drinking and good value for this quality Syrah - a profile and style that we love. A perfect compliment to BBQ or robust pasta or hearty cheeses. 

Winemaker notes - “The Santa Barbara County Syrah is a beautiful representation of the diverse vineyards all around the appellation. These grapes are coming from five unique vineyards, in which some are cool and fog-influenced, while others are dry and windy. The resulting wine celebrates all that each microclimate and soils has to offer creating a big, juicy, up-front, and full-bodied style carrying blue fruits, lots of peppery herb nuances, sweet tannins, and a great finish.” 

In 2020, the winemaker wrote about this label - 2020 Winemaker Notes: "Every year the vineyard percentages change, yet the style remains the same. In 2020 we introduced Laird Vineyard to the blend. By adding this vineyard we continue to work with sandy cool sites to add freshness and savory notes to the final blend.'

"We add complexity and power by including all of our single vineyard Syrah sources. At the end of the day, this wine is both powerful and fresh. It beams with bright acidy and saline notes, rounding out with blue and black fruits to make it generous, juicy and easy to drink. It will age 7-10 years, but do not hesitate to open and enjoy its freshness today."

Decanter gave this 94 points & "Top Buy: America's 30 Best Syrahs", and says, “it's an accessibly priced introduction to the diversity of Santa Barbara County.” It also received 92-94 points by Jeb Dunnuck who said, “A year-in, year-out smoking wine”, and 93 points Erin Brooks of Wine Advocate.

Dark inky ruby purple colored, full bodied, rich thick ripe concentrated unctuous yet nicely balanced and approachable, black and blue fruits with savoury black pepper, olives, cassis and dark chocolate with smooth tannins and texture on a long finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?4747493

https://tensleywines.com/

https://x.com/unwindwine