🏰 Château d'Issan
Also known as: d’Issan
A Margaux estate in Cantenac, a 12th-century fief whose name comes from the d’Essenault family (from 1575); owned by the Cruse family since 1945, joined by the Lorenzettis in 2012; a third growth of 1855.
Château d’Issan is a wine estate in Cantenac, within the Margaux appellation in the Médoc. According to the estate, it was a 12th-century fief called La Mothe-Cantenac; from 1575 five generations of the d’Essenault family held it, and their name, contracted to “Issan”, gave the château its name. In 1866 Gustave Roy built the first gravity-fed cellars and replanted the vines after phylloxera.
In 1945 the Cruse family bought the estate; Lionel Cruse restored the château and replanted the vineyard, and from 1998 Emmanuel Cruse, the third generation, invested in the vines and cellars. In 2012 Françoise and Jacky Lorenzetti joined the Cruse family. The wines are Château d’Issan, the second wine Blason d’Issan, and also Haut-Médoc d’Issan, Moulin d’Issan and Blanc d’Issan.
Margaux is a protected designation of origin (PDO) for red wines made within a delimited area. In the 1855 classification, kept today by the Conseil des Grands Crus Classés en 1855, d’Issan is a Troisième Cru (third growth).
Why it matters to you. Only the wines labelled Margaux come from the Margaux PDO; Haut-Médoc d’Issan and the white carry other appellations. The WHO reminds: there is no safe level of alcohol.
Facts
| Year founded | 12th-century fief; d’Essenault family from 1575; Cruse family since 1945 (Lorenzetti since 2012) |
|---|---|
| Region | Cantenac, Margaux, Médoc (Bordeaux) |
| Country | France |
| Legal basis | estate; PDO Margaux, Troisième Cru of the 1855 classification |
What it includes
- 🍷 Blason d'Issan
- 🍷 Château d'Issan 2000
- 🍷 Château d'Issan 2001
- 🍷 Château d'Issan 2002
- 🍷 Château d'Issan 2003
- 🍷 Château d'Issan 2004
- 🍷 Château d'Issan 2005
- 🍷 Château d'Issan 2006
- 🍷 Château d'Issan 2007
- 🍷 Château d'Issan 2008
- 🍷 Château d'Issan 2009
- 🍷 Château d'Issan 2010
- 🍷 Château d'Issan 2011
- 🍷 Château d'Issan 2012
- 🍷 Château d'Issan 2013
- 🍷 Château d'Issan 2016
- 🍷 Château d'Issan 2017
- 🍷 Château d'Issan 2019
How it connects to Wine
🏰 Château d'Issan → kind of → 📜 Margaux ← main grape of ← 🍇 Cabernet Sauvignon → kind of → 🍇 Grape varieties → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
Frequently asked questions
Where does the name Issan come from?
From the d’Essenault family, who held the estate for five generations from 1575; their name was contracted to “Issan”, according to the estate.
Is it true that all d’Issan wines are Margaux?
No. Besides Château d’Issan and Blason d’Issan, the estate also lists Haut-Médoc d’Issan and a white, Blanc d’Issan.
Who owns Château d’Issan?
The Cruse family, owners since 1945, joined in 2012 by Françoise and Jacky Lorenzetti, according to the estate.
Similar
🏰 Château Margaux · 🏰 Château Cantenac-Brown
⚠️ Wine contains alcohol: adults only, drink in moderation. Wine usually contains sulphites; egg white or milk proteins are sometimes used for fining — important for allergies and for vegans.
Sources
- Château d’Issan (official site): Histoire
- Château d’Issan (official site): home page — wines
- Conseil des Grands Crus Classés en 1855: the 1855 classification
- Wikidata: Château d’Issan (Q1090725)
- eAmbrosia — EU register of geographical indications: PDO «Margaux»
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)