One of the storied houses in Margaux, Chateau d’Issan remarkably dates back to a property fortress in the seigneury of La Mothe-Cantenac back in the 12th century. Sadly the building was demolished five hundred years later by Baron d’Essenault when he inherited the estate. The Baron had the present property built, which today still has some beautiful medieval features, such as its imposing gateway, its towers and its moat, relics of its former defenses. A wall built in 1644 still surrounds the vineyard. The chateau is lived in today, having undergone several phases of renovation. In 1970, after the Cruse family undertook refurbishment work, the chateau was included on the French complementary list of historical buildings. The chateau name dates back to the Essenault family, who ended up renaming it, contracting their name to “Issan” and thus Château d’Issan was born.
The property has been a 3rd Grand Cru Classe since the 1855 classification. During the period between the two World Wars, the estate was unfortunately left to deteriorate, but was reawakened by the Cruse family, owners since 1945. Under the management of Lionel Cruse, the chateau has been restored, the installations modified and the vineyard replanted. Since 1998 Lionel’s son Emmanuel Cruse has been making significant investments in the vines and cellars. The property spans 67 total hectares including 52 hectares (109 acres) in Margaux, 5 hectares (7.5 acres) in Haut-Médoc and 10 hectares (24.5 acres) in Bordeaux Supérieur. Soils are well-draining gravel and 15-metre (50-foot) high alluvial hills, rounded by erosion.
I will fully admit that these wines were seriously impressive across the board. One of the major surprises was how good the 2012 Chateau d’Issan (OB, 93) showed throughout the night. This was a rich, round and generous wine that still had bright acidity and some really nice cellaring potential. Vintages 2014-2016 were utterly killer wines that really need some more time in the cellar to fully come together but they all have incredible cellaring potential. I was blown away with the 2010 Chateau d’Issan (OB, 96) which is really coming into its own now at the eleven year mark. If enjoying now, give this a two to three hour decant. Here are my notes of the incredible wines from Chateau d’Issan.
2010 Chateau d’Issan Bordeaux- The 2010 Chateau d’Issan Bordeaux shows off lovely sage and thyme aromatics with shades of dark currants and graphite tones that all meld in the glass. The palate is fleshy and downright fantastic, bordering on liquid silk. Rich dark fruits march on with dark chocolate shavings, black truffle, and great verve. Medium to full-bodied, and showing a sensational texfture, this harmonious bottling will provide drinking enjoyment for many decades to come. Drink 2021-2040- 96
2011 Chateau d’Issan Bordeaux- The 2011 Chateau d’Issan is a glowing wine from what was a challenging vintage in Bordeaux. On the nose this takes on more fresh herbs with red bell pepper, anise and shades of wet asphalt. The palate is fresh and vibrant with great acidity. Medium-bodied with great finesse, this doesn’t have the weight of the 2010 but has some really nice aging potential. Drink 2021-2038- 91
2012 Chateau d’Issan Bordeaux-The. 2012 d’Issan’ shows ripe cassis and anise tones alongside baking spices and roasted date tones that all impress. The palate is beautifully textured with great verve and poise. Layers of ripe dark fruit parade with creosote, tobacco leaf, dark chocolate shavings and hints of espresso bean on the palate. This shows great length and has some seriously good cellaring potential now. Drink 2021-2035- 93
2014 Chateau d’Issan Bordeaux- The 2014 d’Issan is a formidable wine that has some massive cellaring potential. The downright intoxicating bouquet impresses with great range from red bell pepper to anise and baking spices alongside red currant jelly. The palate is super fresh and vibrant with a seamless texture. The length also impresses. This is really vibrant and youthful but needs some time to fully develop in the cellar. Drink 2024-2045- 94
2015 Chateau d’Issan Bordeaux- The 2015 d’Issan’ is a stunning new bottling from this storied estate. This 70th edition bottling shows a nice core of dark fruits with tobacco leaf, cedar and espresso bean. The palate is seamless but also really gratifying. Mocha, tar, anise, and dried sage all impress on the palate. This is decadent wine but also had a great acid and tannic backing. Drink 2023-2055- 95
2016 Chateau d’Issan Bordeaux- The 2016 d’Issan is a magical effort from his historic vintage. Comprised of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon and 36% Merlot, the wine was stored in 50% new and 50% one-year-old French oak for 18 months prior to bottling. On the nose this shows damp leather and wet gravel tones alongside a rich core of cassis and wild blackberry. The palate is fresh and vibrant — full of life. Layers of dark currants and tilled soils are woven together with espresso grounds and toasty wood tones on the palate. The length here is extraordinary. Try not to touch this beautiful wine for at least a few more years. Drink 2025-2050- 95