Chateau D'Issan

1855 Grand Cru Classe – 3rd Growth

Château d’Issan is hidden inside the 17th-century walls. It is a classic French chateau surrounded by a moat. The chateau houses a famous third-growth winery listed in the 1855 Imperial Classification.

Château d’Issan is in Margaux where the mild weather, regulated by being close to the sea and the Gironde Estuary, and gravel and alluvial soils provide ideal conditions for vine growth.

Out of 67 hectares (141 acres) of vineyards, 52 hectares (109 acres) are in Margaux appellation, with small plots also in Haut-Medoc and Bordeaux Supérieur. Today, vines are 35 years old on average.

In the past, Château d’Issan changed ownership by inheritance and marriage. The history of the chateau goes back to the 12th century, while the current castle was built in the 17th century by Baron d’Essenault, whose family also named the chateau Issan using their contracted family name. The Foix de Candale family had to abandon the chateau during the French Revolution, after which the winery had changed hands several times.

In the 20th century, during the two World Wars, the estate was left to deteriorate but was since 1945, owned by the Cruse family, the chateau has been restored, the installations modified and the vineyard replanted.

In 2012, Françoise and Jacky Lorenzetti, who also own Château Lilian Ladouys in Saint-Estèphe and Château Pedesclaux in Pauillac, purchased a share in Chateau D’Issan contributing to further improvements and building of new winery

The interesting fact is that for the harvest which is done by hand, about fifty people come from Denmark as a result of a partnership with a Danish school.