While most vineyards in the Medoc were not laid out till the 17th century when the marshes had been drained, wine has been made continually at d’Issan since the 12th century. In 1152, wine made at Issan – then under the name of La Mothe-Cantenac – was served at the marriage of Eleanor of Aquitane and Henri II. In 1453, after losing the Battle of Castillon which concluded the Hundred Years’ War, the surviving English troops took refuge at the fortified castle here. In the 17th century, it became the property of the d’Essenault family, and d’Issan is a phonetic spelling of their name.

The heart of d’Issan and its best terroir is the walled Enclos. Soils are gravelly, with some clay. The estate has 52 hectares overall in Margaux, planted to 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec – though in 1855, when d’Issan was very respectably classed as a Third Growth, the vineyard was planted to 100% Tarney Coulant, a grape variety that is almost completely extinct now.

Ownership is currently shared between Emanuel Cruse and Jacky Lorenzetti. Recent years have seen a lot of investment, from replanting on better rootstocks, terroir studies, new drainage, new cellars and a new vat house. (NT 19/08/25)