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| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 86.6 pts. and median of 88 pts. in 20 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by drmackey on 2/28/2020: Not drank (763 views) | | | Tasted by johnrm on 8/5/2017 & rated 90 points: Happily, my positive comments in my previous note still stand. Decanted 3h prior. Excellent fruit on the nose. Damsons and dark fruits (mainly black cherry) on the palate with a hint of maraschino on the late palate, though this was less noticeable after food. Excellent with a rare chargrilled sirloin. Just enough tannin to complement the meat. Later, it was good on its own - very smooth, well balanced, and long. Despite the comments of some pundits this was purchased en primeur and, considering what it cost then, it was a real bargain. Cissac rarely disappoints - you just need to age it (and store it well) then choose the right time IMO. 90+ (1474 views) | | | Tasted by johnrm on 4/30/2017 & rated 90 points: I add this note simply to emphasise my belief that the wine still needs time after opening to show its best.
After decanting, there was a little browning at the rim. Good fruit when first opened. There seemed to be more tannin and less fruit 3h later but the wine opened up with a rare steak. Later (5h+), the fruit emerged more noticeably and included cherries, blueberries, and other dark fruits. The wine seemed to be saying 'just give me time to show!'. I think this is a good time to enjoy the rest of my stock but I'll still open it early with the confidence to let it open properly over a few hours before drinking. (1531 views) | | | Tasted by johnrm on 2/4/2017 & rated 91 points: Good colour. Attractive nose and palate when first opened. Settled down 4h after decanting to show rich, spicy fruit. Perhaps a lingering trace of phenolics on the nose but with spice (including cinnamon) taking over with some fennel later. Very smooth and 'together' - it seemed less austere than the last bottle. Enough smooth, integrated tannin to make an excellent partner for rare sirloin steak. After food, (5+h after opening) it seemed softer and was still evolving with cherries and a trace of orange zest. It still showed excellent fruit, spice, and length.
This bottle maintains my respect for the 2002 vintage of Cissac and confirms my feeling that it was well worth keeping for longer than some of the pundits suggested. (1643 views) | | | Tasted by johnrm on 10/29/2016 & rated 89 points: Two years on from our last bottle. Still a good colour with good fruit when first opened. Settled down over 6h after decanting to reveal a typical Bdx nose and smooth, homogeneous palate. All the expected, slightly austere characteristics (not a Parker wine) with a very slight hint of phenolics on the nose and late palate at one point. Good, integrated tannins. Needs food to show its best. It did so with a slow-cooked lamb shoulder. It actually seemed at its best after the food (7h after opening) - excellent fruit, spice, and length.
A fine survivor from a mixed vintage (2002) for those who believe in Cissac and were prepared to wait. (1746 views) | | | Tasted by champussi on 3/23/2016 & rated 82 points: Diese Flasche war deutlich auf dem absteigenden Ast! Trinkbar, aber nicht schön! (1848 views) | | | Tasted by SimonPh on 8/1/2015 & rated 89 points: Nice typical Bordeaux, with fragrance and elegance, not rich, but nicely astringent with subtle fruit. (1465 views) | | | Tasted by SimonPh on 2/7/2015 & rated 89 points: Nicely aged Bordeaux, reaching maturity. (1600 views) | | | Tasted by johnrm on 6/7/2014 & rated 89 points: Our reaction chimed with our previous assessment. Lovely wine - but it still needs time (at least 3h after decanting) and food. Superb with 30 day aged sirloin. Do not assess on first opening, please........ (1859 views) | | | Tasted by johnrm on 1/19/2014 & rated 89 points: After 2h. Good nose, deep red colour, little browning, good legs. Touch of orange on first taste; fair fruit with restrained black cherries. A slight metallic taste on the late middle at first but this faded. A very slight taste of 'dandelion and burdock' on the middle/late taste on this and previous bottles (English tasters of a certain age will know what I mean!). Tannins are more integrated since our first bottle 3 years ago - this is the 5th of 12.
More austere than most recent Cissacs, perhaps more like the style of 20+ years ago but this is no bad thing in these days of upfront sweet fruit.... Very decent claret and it improved substantially with roast beef.
P.s. In fact, it was a different wine after 3-4 hr with food (not surprising - all old-world wines have developed over centuries in conjunction with food. Blackcurrant and blackberry on the nose and much 'sweeter'. Lovely wine still even long after the meal . We won't hurry to finish the case - it still has plenty of life IMO. Don't judge it early after opening or without food. (1953 views) | | | Tasted by dionysoslebt_80 on 9/25/2013 & rated 80 points: Deep purple, on the rim lighter orange tones (healthy colour); on the nose hints of cassis and sandalwood, but not very much more; easy and light drinking pleasure, aged rapidly; has no future - drink up!
(80/100) (1893 views) | | | Tasted by HStaal on 10/16/2011 & rated 86 points: Good – clear dark ruby appearance; pronounced fruit and some cigar box on nose; off-dry; mid tannins but quite soft – mid length finish; mid/full body; mid acidity; black fruits with some oakiness; lovely balance. Decanted an hour before drinking. Had with Roast Beef – good match (2640 views) | | | Tasted by HStaal on 7/1/2011 & rated 88 points: Good – clear dark ruby appearance; fruit and cigar box on nose; off-dry; still quite tannic – mid length mouth drying finish; full body; mid acidity; black fruits – some red fruit; lovely balance. Decanted an hour before drinking. (2305 views) | | | Tasted by pdadams66 on 7/4/2009 & rated 83 points: Dark center, dark red rim, no signs of age.
Nose of smoke, plums, minerals.
Smooth, low tannin and acidity, strong wood streak, cassis fruit on a short finish.
Unbalanced, and wood distracts on the palette. Might improve with time, but tannins are low. (2088 views) | | | Tasted by wombat on 10/23/2008 & rated 86 points: Bouquet: Pencil lead, smoke, earth
Flavors: Like the nose plus red and blk berries.
Comments: Softening tannins, good balance 2700 yen (2028 views) | | | Tasted by dfitzg2 on 12/9/2007 & rated 84 points: I was concerned over the smell, but after an hour of decanting and aereation it smoothed out well. Exceptional color. Nice alcohol. Enough complexity to be interesting. A little rough on the finish. (2013 views) | | | Tasted by Squeeze on 9/27/2006 & rated 86 points: Drank over two evenings, both nights was decent/nice. I thought it wasn't that light, it had noticable tannins but, they weren't particular well integrated. Maybe need another year or two of more bottle age? Not bad, but nothing amazing regardless. (1940 views) | | | Tasted by hektik on 5/21/2006 & rated 82 points: I thought this was nice, we drank it with an herbed pasta dish, and a roasted herbed cornish game hen. Very light with the food. On it's own I thought it started out light with leather, and had a tannic finish. Definately not a big wine, but good with food and cheap. (2014 views) |
| Château Cissac Producer website - Read more about Chateau CissacRed Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comBordeaux Bordeaux Wine Guide
Vins Bordeaux (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux)
History of Bordeaux
History of 1855 Bordeaux Classification
"2009 is all about ripeness, with wines impressively packed with ripe fruit and high alcohol levels. They are showy, in-your-face, and full of pleasure. The 2010s have the fruit and alcohol levels of the 2009s, but with a compelling freshness on the finish that balances the fruit and provides a perfect sense of structure." - Ben Nelson
"2016 is a landmark vintage in certain spots of Bordeaux and it should be remembered as one of the most inspired campaigns of the last 40-50+ years." -Jon Rimmerman
"The quality of red Bordeaux in 2016 was universally lauded – although the response to the en primeur campaign was muted. Quantity was high too, with the equivalent of 770 million bottles of wine produced. An exceptionally dry summer with cool nights eventually, thanks to mid September rain, resulted in small, thick-skinned, ripe grapes, and the wines are marked by high tannin and acidity, with superb aromatic fragrance." - Jancis Robinson
"2017 was complicated, but there are some excellent wines. Expect plenty of freshness and drinkability from wines that will offer excellent value, and others that will rival 2016 in terms of ripeness and ageability. But they are likely to be the exception not the rule, making careful selection key." - Jane Anson
"In the past, a vintage such as 2022 may have been overripe, raisined and low in acidity but 2022 had a sneaky little reservoir in its back pocket - a near perfect marriage of cool/cold/rain the previous winter and the previous vintage that literally soaked the soils (a key to why 2022 is not 2003...or 1893)." - Jon RimmermanMédoc Vins du Médoc (Conseil des Vins du Médoc) - Read More about the Medoc
VdB
The eight precisely defined appellations of the whole of the Médoc (from Blanquefort Brook to the north of the Bordeaux built-up area, almost to the Pointe de Grave) may claim the Médoc appellation. But there is also a specific territory in the north of the peninsula which produces exclusively wines with this appellation. In the great majority, the Médocs come from the north of the peninsula. The great individuality of this region is that the number of vines has increased more recently here than elsewhere, apart from a few isolated spots where vines have grown for many years. Today, the size of the small estate has brought about the development of a powerful co-operative movement. Four co-operatives out of five belong to the group called Unimédoc which ensures aging, bottling and marketing a large proportion of their wines.Haut-Médoc Read more about Haut Medoc and its wines Long-standing fame The legally created division into Médoc and Haut-Médoc dates from 1935. But as long ago as 1815 a Chartrons broker, whose word carried weight, spoke of great red wines in the Haut-Médoc, so recognizing the high quality successfully achieved by this region's growers in the eighteenth century. The same Bordeaux broker revealed that the business world of the Chartrons and the great Bordeaux proprietors had established a sort of league-table of the parishes in which the vine-growing communes of today's Haut-Médoc appellation showed up well.
The Haut-Médoc appellation stretches over some thirty seven miles from north to south, from Saint-Seurin de Cadourne to Blanquefort. Within this area, certain zones produce wines exclusively with the Haut-Médoc appellation. It has terroirs of remarkable quality. And although we may note a certain predominance of layers of gravel (essentially Garonne gravel) from the Quaternary, all these sites are characterized by their wide diversity. Today in the southernmost communes of the appellation, the suburbs of Bordeaux, numerous vineyards which existed at the beginning of the twentieth century have disappeared, victims of urban expansion. But the vines live on... because man has retained his devotion to them.
The astonishing variety of different terroirs, the result of the very extent of the area, explains the diversity of Haut-Médoc wines, a fact which is rare within one and the same appellation.
But, over and above the differences, linked to this mosaic of climatic and geological influence, all these wines have the same family traits of character.
Alert and lively, full-bodied without being too powerful, and harmoniously balanced, they acquire a rare bouquet over the years.
In order to have the right to the Haut-Médoc appellation of controlled origin, red wines must:
- come from the communes of Blanquefort, Le Taillan, Parempuyre, Le Pian, Ludon, Macau, Arsac, Labarde, Cantenac, Margaux, Avensan, Castelnau, Soussans, Arcins, Moulis, Listrac, Lamarque, Cussac, Saint-Laurent de Médoc, Saint-Julien, Pauillac, Saint-Sauveur, Cissac, Saint-Estèphe, Vertheuil, Saint-Seurin de Cadourne "excluding all the parcels situated on recent alluvium and sand on impermeable subsoils",
- satisfy precise production conditions : grape-varieties (Cabernet-Sauvignon, Cabernet-Franc, Carmenère, Merlot Noir, Petit Verdot, Cot or Malbec), minimum of sugar (178 grammes - 6.27 oz. - per litre of must) degree (an acquired 10°5) base yield (48 hectolitres per hectare).
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