Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This is full and powerful, with loads of fruit and a tropical undertone of berries and mango. Loads of tannins in this big wine, but still very fresh. This needs more time than the 2000.
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Wine Spectator
Aromas of blackberry, black olives and licorice. Medium- to full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a fruity finish. Refined and nicely done.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Giscours should be taken seriously by consumers as the quality has been ratcheted up over the last 7-8 years. The deep ruby/purple-hued 2003 offers complex, evolved aromatics of wood smoke, chocolate, charcoal, black cherry jam, and cassis. Lush, medium to full-bodied, and broad, with low acidity, copious glycerin, and a layered, persistent finish (it lasts for 40+ seconds), this beauty can be drunk now or cellared for 15 years.
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Wine Enthusiast
In normal vintages it's velvety and rich, but Giscours seems to have gone over the top in 2003. The fruit is certainly there, generally fresh, but there is an underlying sense of over-ripeness, which needs to be better integrated: Hopefully this will happen as time goes on. For the moment, it’s a question mark.
Château Giscours, a Grand Cru Classé, is one of the very few estates with vineyards planted in a single stretch, at the heart of an unspoiled ecosystem of 400 hectares of meadows and forest. The 100-hectare estate in the Margaux appellation boasts an ideal location on the magnificent Labarde and Arsac plateau.
Château Giscours, one of the oldest seigneuries in the Médoc, has reinvented itself constantly over the centuries. Pierre de Lhomme, Marc Promis, Jean-Pierre Pescatore, Edouard Cruse and Nicolas Tari were all ambitious and visionary estate owners who were passionate about pulling together the estate's land and giving this vineyard a reputation for excellence. These efforts were rewarded by the official classification in 1855, when Giscours was named a third Grand Cru Classé.
In 1995, a new chapter began with Dutch businessman Eric Albada Jelgersma, who oversaw a meticulous rehabilitation of the vineyards and buildings. It took a lengthy process, patience, and unfailing technical and commercial organization for Giscours to retain a strong identity and become the embodiment of a flourishing estate that has successfully transcended change.
Today, his children are following in their father's footsteps as they enable the estate to develop whilst also preserving its rich ecosystem.
This well-arranged land is a winemaker's dream. Deep Garonne gravel hilltops with slight variations give Giscours wines their structure and elegance. This exceptional terroir suits our vines, which offer up the best of themselves under the influence of the oceanic climate.
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.
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.