Château d'Issan Winery

Château d'Issan is undoubtedly one of the most famous wine estates in the Médoc. This is due not only to its long-standing excellence as a 3ème Grand Cru Classé de Margaux, but also to its 800-year history and imposing building, whose former fortified character is still recognisable.

Most of the wine estates in the Médoc were established in the 17th century after the marshes of this peninsula between the Atlantic and the Gironde were drained. Château d'Issan, however, is a different story. Wine has been produced continuously at this Margaux vineyard since the 12th century. The château was originally a so-called motte, the early form of a castle, which was gradually modified, extended and finally became a château. Until the 17th century, the building was also called La Mothe-Cantenac, which shows that it was part of the former large estate of Cantenac. The fact that it originally had a fortified character can still be seen in the heavy stone blocks, walls and towers. The château, which includes 120 hectares with 44 hectares of cru vineyards as well as other hectares certified as AOP Médoc and Bordeaux Supérieur and not directly adjacent to the château, is located in the immediate vicinity of Château Palmer, not far from the Gironde. Since 1945, the vineyard has belonged to the Cruse family, who moved to Bordeaux from Denmark in the 19th century. in 2012, the Cruse family sold 50% of the estate to Françoise and Jacky Lorenzetti. In return, Emmanuel Cruse, who runs the winery, also became Managing Director of the Lorenzetti wine estates Lilian Ladouys in Saint-Estèphe and Pédésclaux in Pauillac. Emmanuel Cruse took over the winery in 1995 at the age of just 27 and renovated it from the ground up. There was an investment shortfall of a good 10 million euros, which he invested in both the vineyards and the cellar. The effort has paid off, as the winery is now even considered a 2ème cru in terms of quality.