Château d’Issan is in the middle of the Margaux appellation, a truly privileged location, which explains the outstanding quality of its wines. The mild weather, regulated by being close to the sea and the Gironde Estuary, provides ideal conditions for vine growth.

Protected by the wall : Winter was dry and cold, so the vines hibernated peacefully. A lovely warm spring stimulated early budding. In Bordeaux on April 27 th and 28 th , there were heavy frosts, but the d’Issan “clos” was fortunately spared. The wall surrounding the estate was built in 1644. Being located close to the Gironde Estuary means that our terroir enjoys outstanding geological features and an unparalleled microclimate. Thanks to these conditions our vines were not affected by the series of cold spells that hit the region.

Record flowering : Also due to the conditions, flowering was seamless and over in less than a week, uniformly and simultaneously in our two varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. At this point, we estimated the vines to be two weeks ahead of their usual growth calendar. The vintage seemed it was going to be an early one! Very hot weather in June kept the vines still ahead of the average. Much-needed rain at the beginning of July led to a gradual, continuous onset of ripening. Mid-veraison was reached on July 25 th .