Château Giscours Margaux 2020 - 3ème Grand Cru Classé

Bettane & Desseauve

About the domain :

This huge 300-hectare estate (80 hectares of which are farmed), located in Labarde, has had a turbulent history, due to tricky family successions. The vines have remained in the Tari family since 1952, but the wine is made by a talented team under the direction of Alexander van Beek, inspired by the courage of the recently deceased Eric Albada Jelgersma. As the estate's farmer, he restored it to its former glory. Because of its terroir, this cru produces a particularly colorful, full-bodied Margaux that can be laid down for a very long time, with a character quite different from the crus of the northern part of the appellation. When successful, it can rival Château Palmer, but prices remain more reasonable than those of its rival.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the domain :

Giscours is one of the Médoc's largest estates (100 ha), commanded by a monumental château built by the banking family of the Counts de Pescatore to accommodate Empress Eugenie when she visited her Biarritz resort. Very representative of the Médoc Grand Cru in terms of its buildings, Giscours is also representative in terms of its beautiful terroir of deep gravel and great homogeneity. This third-growth Margaux classé also owns parcels in the Haut-Médoc appellation for two labels: Ch. Duthil and Haut-Médoc de Giscours.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

This estate is now enjoying its best period since its heyday in the 1970s, and this Giscours 2020 is excellent. Deep aromas of blackberry, blackcurrant, pencil shavings, rose petals and loamy soil develop in the glass. It is medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, with a layered, even mid-palate, excellent concentration and structuring powdery tannins. 2027 - 2055

About the domain :

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the domain :

The vineyard, farmed by the Dutch Albada Jelgersma family, is run by the talented Alexander Van Beek. Let's leave aside the legal wrangling between the Tari family, who own the land, and the farmers, and focus on the wines. Giscours benefits from a first-rate terroir, and many older vintages bear witness to this. Like many other vineyards, it went through a period of decline in the 90s and 2000s. A major restructuring of the vineyard has enabled the cru to move forward again, and the latest vintages are returning to its full, intense style.

Wine Enthusiast

About the wine:

Barrel sample. Fragrant, ripe and juicy, this structured wine is already impressive. Its layered texture and black plum fruit have serious potential, with plenty of fruit and tannin and a generous finish.

Vinous A. Galloni

About the wine:

Giscours 2020 is just as compelling as it was in barrel. Luscious notes of black cherry, plum, new leather, licorice, menthol and mocha round out the layers nicely. This year's wine contains a good dose of Merlot, giving it a certain mid-palate juiciness and textural depth, but it also boasts plenty of supporting structure. The 2020 is both flamboyant and serious, a rather seductive combination, I must say. Tasted 2 times. 2028 - 2050

James Suckling

About the wine:

Fascinating aromas of blueberry, crushed stone and blackcurrant. Very aromatic. Full-bodied, with juicy, creamy, intense tannins. Slightly bitter, burnt citrus character. Very muscular with velvety tannins. Needs time to soften. To be enjoyed after 2025, but can be aged for a long time.

Terre de Vins

About the wine:

The nose is plunged into the glass, and already an imposing, dense, deep, yet fresh body is revealed, marked by raspberry and elderflower. The palate is impressively fleshy and full-bodied, powerful yet unctuous and elegant, propelled by impeccable freshness. The tannins are beautifully precise. The wine unfolds in length, and we'll be talking about it again in 20 years' time.

Yves Beck

About the wine:

I've never made a secret of my deep attachment to Giscours, the wine I shared with the woman who was to become my wife on our first meal together in a restaurant. And then I remember the brilliant 1964, or the 1966, not to mention the 2000 or the 2005. And then there's the 2020, a reminder that Giscours can be very big... and not just in terms of surface area! From the outset, the 2020 stands out for its freshness and floral nuances. It reveals scents of iris, while notes of blackcurrant appear after aeration. Very dense on the palate, the wine shines not only for its precision, but also for its depth. The tannins, very compact, impart quite a bit of energy, together with a juicy, saline acid structure. An energetic, powerful, accomplished and persistent Giscours. Everything takes shape, everything merges. Power and bitterness are essential assets for this wine, which offers great prospects and puts Giscours where it deserves to be: right at the front! 2027-2047

The Wine Cellar Insider - Jeff Leve

About the wine:

Richly colored, the wine opens with an intense bouquet of flowers, with additional nuances of tobacco leaf, earth, currant, black cherry, spice and cigar box. The wine is silky, vibrant, sensual and long, with layers of ripe, sweet, vibrant red and black fruit building in intensity. The fruit is of great purity and the palate is symmetrical, with a sexy finish. Drink between 2026 and 2055.