Château D’ISSAN 1994
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 1994 vintage in Bordeaux had a wet April, but the spring was ideal and led to early flowering. The summer was hot and sunny until a deluge hit on September 7, and continuing through the rest of the month, but conditions were too cool to encourage rot. Careful grape selection was crucial to avoid overly diluted berries.
Grape varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot