Chateau Giscours 2020

Ripe yet fresh and sleek on the palate, with black cherry and blackberry purée notes gliding through, infused with sandalwood, bay leaf and black tea accents. There’s a pleasant dark-earth tint to the finish, though the fruit still holds sway. Nicely done. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Drink now through 2035.

Wonderful aromatic expression, fragrant with wild flowers and dark bramble fruits as well as sandalwood. Rich and round on the palate, really so juicy and succulent, mouthwatering acidity balances the crushed stone texture and flavour - a combination of liquorice, slate, pencil lead and blackcurrants and black cherries. It’s concentrated but delivered so gracefully. Nicely layered, graceful and refined, a delicacy to this overall. It’s not weighty but precise and nuanced, lots of individual flavours really hitting different aspects. They haven't pushed this, it’s definitely still a little high-toned and slightly austere in the chalky tannins but I love the gentle fragrance, the air of quiet confidence but still with structure, concentration and persistence. Well worked. So much going on here, this will be delicious in time.

Fascinating aromas of blueberries, crushed stone, and blackcurrants. Very aromatic. Full-bodied with juicy tannins that are creamy and intense. Slightly bitter, burnt citrus character. This is very muscular with velvety tannins. Needs time to soften. Try after 2025 but will age a long time.

The 2020 Giscours is every bit as compelling as it was from barrel. Succulent dark cherry, plum, new leather, licorice, menthol and mocha fill out the layers nicely. There's a good bit of Merlot in this year, which lends quite a bit of mid-palate juiciness and textural depth, but there is also plenty of supporting structure underneath. The 2020 is both flamboyant and serious, a pretty appealing combination, I have to say. Tasted two times.

Richly colored, the wine kicks off with an intense display of flowers, with additional nuances of tobacco leaf, earth, currants, black cherries, spice and cigar box. The wine is silky, vibrant, sensuous and long with layers of ripe, sweet, vibrant red and black fruits that build in intensity. There is a beautiful purity to the fruit and symmetry on the palate, with a sexy endnote. Drink from 2026-2055.

Dark ruby garnet, purple reflections, deep core, discreet rim brightening. Dark berries, some noble wood, ripe plums, nougat, a touch of cloves. Juicy, ripe cherries, some dry tannins, chocolaty and developed on the finish, a touch brittle on the finish, still needs time, will certainly add to it. (2025-2040).

Pure nose offering fresh red currant, plum, some herbal notes and discreet oak. Rather full palate, classically built in a medium-bodied, fresh style with a fine tannic backbone, discreet oak and good length, an understated, age-worthy style.

Playful bouquet, wild cherry, sandalwood and light tobacco, followed by chocolate pastille and redcurrant nectar. On the straight palate with fine-grained extract, a tightly knit body and supportive verve. In the concentrated finish, red-berry contours, dark graphite and delicately dry astringency. Purchase recommended.

Kunz barrel sample 2021: velvety, dense, full and sweet, fruity bouquet, blackberries, damassine plums, vanilla. Tightly woven, creamy palate with a powerful, sweet, fine palate featuring diverse sweet aromatics, creamy texture, plenty of fine tannins, long, fresh finish with many lingering aromas.

Velvety, dense, full, sweet, fruity bouquet, blackberries, damson plums, vanilla. Densely knit, creamy palate with firm, sweet, refined character, diverse sweet aromatics, creamy texture, plenty of fine tannins, long, fresh finish with plenty of lingering aromas. 18/20 2025 - 2045

Deep plum in colour, lilting acidities, some angular tannins at this point, beautifully bitter dark chocolate alongside bilberry and blackberry fruits, with fragrant mint leaf and precisely carved tannic grip. Last year with Lorenzo Pasquini as technical director, before Jérôme Poisson took over in 2021. The first year also when Giscours became the only estate in Margaux owned by the Albada family, as they sold du Tertre. Thomas Duclos consultant, 50% new oak. Harvest September 8 to October 2, 35hl/ha yield.

The 2020 Giscours, 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Merlot, is deep garnet-purple in color. It wafts gracefully from the glass with pretty notes of raspberry coulis, Morello cherries, and crushed blackcurrants, plus touches of garrigue, bay leaves, and iron ore. The medium-bodied palate is silky and beautifully poised, delivering delicate red berry and savory layers, finishing on a mineral note.

We had noticed a change in style at Giscours with this vintage. Cabernet wines that are more “al dente,” bringing freshness and elegance rather than power and concentration. The wine is very delicate, juicy and free-flowing, yet with length.

I have never hidden my deep attachment to Giscours, the wine I shared at the first restaurant meal with the woman who would become my wife. Then I think back to the brilliant 1964, or the 1966, not to mention the 2000 or the 2005. And then there is the 2020, which simply reminds us that Giscours can be truly great… and not only in size! Right from the start, the 2020 stands out for its freshness and floral nuances. It reveals iris aromas, while notes of blackcurrant appear after aeration. Beautiful density on the palate, where the wine shines not only for its precision but also for its depth. The tannins, very compact, impart serious energy, together with a juicy, saline acid structure. An energetic, powerful, complete and persistent Giscours. Everything takes shape, everything merges. Power and bitterness are essential assets for this wine, which promises a very bright future and places Giscours where it belongs: right at the front!

Dark, intense, purple color. Very aromatic nose with ripe, subtle fruit. Fragrant. Caressing on the attack, subtle mid-palate, very aromatic, the wine glides into the finish, ending on present yet wrapped tannins. Normal length. Blend: 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot. Alcohol: 13.5% – pH: 3.75 (above average). Yield: 36 hl/ha. First wine production: 65%.

96–98. Barrel Sample. Perfumed, ripe and juicy, this structured wine is already impressive. Its layered texture and black plum fruits have serious potential, packed with fruit and tannins with a generous aftertaste.