Château D’ISSAN 1986
Château d'Issan is located in the Margaux appellation, in the Médoc of the Bordeaux region. It was classified Third Grand Cru Classé in the 1855 classification and has a long history since in 1152, its wine was served at the wedding between Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II of England. The property covers 120 hectares of which 67 hectares are planted with vines (52 hectares in the Margaux appellation and 15 hectares in AOC Haut-Médoc and AOC Bordeaux Supérieur). Not much remains of the exploitation of the Ancien Régime: bad weather, wars and episodes of phylloxera have damaged the estate over the centuries. Today's vines, aged 35 years on average, are essentially the fruit of restructuring efforts made by the Cruse family after 1945.
Château d'Issan is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot . The wine is aged for 16 to 18 months in barrels, 50% of which are new. The 1986 vintage for Bordeaux was relatively difficult but excellent wines were still produced. The growing season began with a particularly cold winter. Spring started with cool, wet conditions until milder weather ensured both budbreak and flowering, although they were slightly delayed. The good weather sets in for a long time and the summer is long, hot and extremely dry. September brought much needed rain to revitalize the soils and vines. Conditions dried out towards the end of the month, giving way to hot, dry weather which brought welcome winds conducive to tending the vines.
Grape varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot