Today we share an outstanding house in Margaux. Chateau D’Issan remarkably dates back to a property fortress in the seigneury of La Mothe-Cantenac. This 12th century 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 love the 2016 Chateau D’Issan (OB, 94) which is really stunning at the nine year mark. It shows the richness of this great vintage. If enjoying now, give this a two to three hour decant. Here are my notes of the incredible 2016 from Chateau D’Issan.
2016 Chateau D’Issan Bordeaux- The 2016 D’Issan is a stunning blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon and 36% Merlot. It was aged in 50% new and 50% one-year-old French oak for 18 months prior to bottling. Once on the nose this takes on layers of baking spices, anise, creme de cassis and wet gravel accents. The palate is medium to full-bodied with gorgeous dark fruits and dark florals that meld well with sandalwood and rocky accents. This should easily go for another twenty years to come. Drink 2025-2045- 95