There are records of wine being produced at this property since the 12th century: it was served at the marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry Plantagenet in 1152. In the 16th century, the Chevalier d'Essenault, a member of the Bordeaux parliament, knocked down the old building and built the current château. The château's name, Issan, is a contraction of Essenault. The property was classified as a Margaux third growth in 1855. The Cruse family became the owners iand the property has been managed by Emmanuel Cruse since late 90's.
Château d'Issan has a single block of vines, planted on excellent gravelly soil beside the Gironde. Typically for the appellation, the vines consist of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot.
These wines can be drunk young in some vintages, but with a few years in the cellar their aromas gain a wonderful complexity and the texture a superb velvetiness as the tannins soften with age. Very elegant and concentrated, Château d'Issan's wines are an excellent representative of the Margaux appellation and deserve a place in any wine enthusiast's cellar.