Château d'Issan

History

Let's go back to the 12th century to learn about the beginnings of property ownership. The property was called La Mothe-Cantenac in those days, then became the Théobon manor following a marriage marriage between an eponymous lord and an heiress. The wine produced was already renowned as it was served at the wedding of King Henry II Plantagenet and Eleanor of Aquitaine in 1152.

Over the following centuries, a succession of marriages simply passed the estate from hand to hand. the estate from hand to hand. Families such as the Noailhan, Meyrac, Ségur, Salignac, De La Vergne and Les Escodeca de Boisse have all passed through the estate, while while adding their own touches. But one family left an indelible mark on the château: the Essenault family.

In 1575, they succeeded each other and renamed the estate Château d'Issan. They continued to develop the estate, and were heavily involved in its development. They abandon it in the following centuries. The Château fell under the the Foix de Candale family, who in turn abandoned it during the French French Revolution.

In 1824, Jean-Baptiste Duluc took over the reins of the estate and made substantial improvements to the vineyard. the vineyard. This enabled him to sell it at a higher price to Gustave Roy in 1866. Roy modernized the winery and replanted the vines after the phylloxera epidemic. phylloxera. Unfortunately, he in turn abandoned the château, which was soon taken over by the Cruse family. by the Cruse family. Since 1945, this family has owned Château d'Issan...

Significant investments

It would seem that this is precisely the impetus the estate needed to return to the top level. Lionel Cruse, 2nd generation, restored the estate and made it a benchmark in Margaux. Since 1998, his son Emmanuel has taken up the torch and has no intention of stopping there. stopping there. He aims to reflect the history and exceptional terroir of Château d'Issan Château d'Issan in the wines he makes. To achieve this, he needs better production facilities. production facilities. The new winery he has built also sees a new pneumatic press sorting tables and a larger stock of French oak barrels.

He was joined in 2012 by François and Jacky Lorenzetti, owners of well-known châteaux (Lilian Ladouys and Pedesclaux). They joined forces with the Cruse family to restore Château d'Issan's reputation.

Together, they look after this 52-hectare vineyard, planted with 65% Cabernet Sauvignon sauvignon, 30% merlot and 5% cabernet-franc, petit verdot and malbec. The terroir is composed of gravelly, clay-limestone soil on gentle slopes. The vines have an average age of 35 years, ideal for quantitative production. Some are over 70 years old, adding an incomparable touch of quality to future cuvées...