About the Wine

"At Giscours, a wine does not live by itself. It is a reflection of the place, its environment, and the people who make it."

Just over 3 miles away from world-renowned Château Margaux, is located Château Giscours a 3rd Growth Classified Châteaux. The history of this estate dates back nearly 700 years. 

It was seized in the French Revolution and sold to Americans before the turn of the 19th century. It then changed hands many times while slowly falling into disrepair. It wasn’t until Nicolas Tari purchased the estate in 1954 that it started to make an upward trend. The real step toward living up to its classification is when Alexander van Beek took over as the managing director. He replanted much of the vineyard with Cabernet Sauvignon and even moved the harvesting back to hand picking. Around the 2000 vintage, this estate really started producing top-tier wines. 

Chateau Giscours's terroir is impressive, as you could have imagined, being located in one of the finest terroirs in the Bordeaux region. Its dry and meager gravel soils result in charming and delicate wines like the 2020 Chateau Giscours Margaux.

If you want to taste the real power and elegance of Bordeaux, this wine is for you. Collectors would be fortunate to have this wine in their cellar.

2020 was a great year for the Left Bank. Vinous Media awarded this year with a 97-point review and said: "Two thousand-twenty is an exceptional vintage for Bordeaux, certainly the best in the 2018-2020 trilogy. Quality is very, very high."

Aging: 17 months in French oak barrels, 50% new. 

Tasting Notes: 56% Cabernet Sauvignon and 44% Merlot. 
See Critical Reviews for detailed tasting notes.

Reviews

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. ~96-98 Wine Enthusiast

Aromas of crushed berries, dried flowers and spices with undertones of ink and iron. Full-bodied with wonderful, fine tannins that are totally embedded in the structure. Endless length and such refinement. Rather ethereal. Another winner from Giscours. ~96-97 James Suckling

This is an excellent Giscours, extremely precise, well drawn and seductive. There is both concentration and spice, and a vivid sappy feel to the raspberry and bilberry fruits, all drawn out through the palate as the slate texture kicks in. Plenty of things to keep track on here, not least that this is now the only estate in Margaux owned by the Albada family, as they have sold du Tertre. The focus is now entirely on Giscours, and I would expect to see a concerted effort to raise the visibility of the property. Changes include Thomas Duclos as consultant since 2019, and vineyard choices such as intra-plot harvesting, meaning going in waves through the plots picking individual vines when they are at full ripeness. Plus, Jerome Poisson is the new technical director (a French Canadian, who worked in Napa, Italy, Chile, Cognac and Alsace), replacing Lorenzo Pasquini. 50% new oak for ageing. A yield of 35hl/ha. Drinking Window 2028 - 2044 ~95 Decanter

The 2020 Giscours is surprisingly juicy and forward, with lovely mid-palate richness from the Merlot that comprises 44% of the blend. Inky dark fruit, new leather, spice, menthol and dried herbs all meld together effortlessly. In 2020 Giscours is a real charmer. I imagine it will drink well with minimal cellaring. Harvest started on September 8 for the Merlot and finished with the last of the Cabernets on October 3, which is a good week ahead of schedule. Yields are down about 25% from the 2019, mostly because of heat and dry weather during the summer. New oak is 50%.~93-95 Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

One of the most seamless Margaux in the vintage, the 2020 Château Giscours checks in as 56% Cabernet Sauvignon and 44% Merlot, brought up in 50% new French oak. Offering a wonderful, rich, powerful style that's classic Giscours, it has lots of cassis and darker currant fruits as well as notes of dried flowers, sandalwood, licorice, and earth. The tannin quality is spot on, which is rare in Margaux in 2020, and it has medium to full body, a great mid-palate, and a silky, layered mouthfeel. It's a beautiful Margaux. ~93-95 Jeb Dunnuck

A blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Merlot, the 2020 Giscours reveals a deep garnet-purple color and compelling notes of crushed redcurrants, plum preserves and Morello cherries, leading to hints of lavender, wild sage, damp soil and black truffles with a touch of licorice. The medium-bodied palate bursts with vibrant red and black fruits and lots of savory accents, supported by soft, very well managed tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing on a lingering fragrant earth note. ~92-94+ Robert Parker's Wine Advocate