Chateau Giscours (1.5 Liter Magnum) 2017
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Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All VintagesThis wine is rich with tannins and ripe black fruits. A core of lusciousness gives the wine weight and density. It will be a fine wine to drink from 2024.
Subtle aromas of ripe fruit with plums and hints of clove and stone. Complex. Medium to full body with a fine line of tannins running through the mid-palate. Fresh and creamy texture. A blend of 71% cabernet sauvignon, 24% merlot and 5% petit verdot. Drink after 2021.
Soft and a touch earth on the attack but pulls itself together to show firmly in-control tannins. There is a natural austerity offset by a clear punch of redcurrant, raspberry and autumnal fruits. Good freshness, softened by smoked cedar on the finish. Reminds me of an early stage 2011, and this wine in 2017 seems set to age just as gracefully in the end.
A savory edge leads the way here, featuring a mix of red and black cherry fruit infused with black tea and juniper notes. The silky finish lets everything linger easily in unison. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2030.
Barrel Sample: 89-91
Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2017 Giscours offers pretty plum preserves, warm cassis and wilted roses scents with fragrant earth and cinnamon stick hints. The palate is medium-bodied, elegant and plush with lovely expressiveness and a bit of spice on the finish.
The estate was purchased by Nicolas Tari after World War II. He made major investments in modernizing Giscours. In 1995, Eric Albada Jelgersma acquired the right to grow vines and make wine on the estate. He continues to lavish the care and attention that are necessary to maintain Giscours' standing as a world-famous great growth.
Silky, seductive and polished are the words that characterize the best wines from Margaux, the most inland appellation of the Médoc on the Left Bank of Bordeaux.
Margaux’s gravel soils are the thinnest of the Médoc, making them most penetrable by vine roots—some reaching down over 23 feet for water. The best sites are said to be on gentle outcrops, or croupes, where more gravel facilitates good drainage.
The Left Bank of Bordeaux subscribes to an arguably outdated method of classification but it is nonetheless important in regards to history of the area. In 1855 the finest chateaux were deemed on the basis of reputation and trading price—at that time. In 1855, Chateau Margaux achieved first growth status, yet it has been Chateau Palmer (officially third growth from the 1855 classification) that has consistently outperformed others throughout the 20th century.
Chateau Margaux in top vintages is capable of producing red Cabernet Sauvignon based wines described as pure, intense, spell-binding, refined and profound with flavors and aromas of black currant, violets, roses, orange peel, black tea and incense.
Other top producers worthy of noting include Chateau Rauzan-Ségla, Lascombes, Brane-Cantenac, and d’Issan, among others.
The best wines of Margaux combine a deep ruby color with a polished structure, concentration and an unrivaled elegance.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.