Château Giscours Margaux 2020 - 3ème Grand Cru Classé

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

This immense 300-hectare estate (80 hectares of which are cultivated), located in Labarde, has had a turbulent history due to delicate family succession issues. The vineyards have belonged to the Tari family since 1952, but the wine is produced by a talented team led by Alexander van Beek, inspired by the courage of the recently deceased Éric Albada Jelgersma. As the estate's farmer, he had restored it to its true status. Due to its terroir, this cru produces a particularly colorful and full-bodied Margaux with excellent aging potential and a character quite different from the crus in the northern part of the appellation. When successful, it can rival Château Palmer, but the prices remain more reasonable than those of its rival.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the estate:

Giscours is one of the largest estates in the Médoc (100 hectares), dominated by a monumental château built by the Counts of Pescatore, a family of bankers, to welcome Empress Eugénie when she visited her holiday resort in Biarritz. Giscours is highly representative of Médoc grand cru wines, not only in terms of its buildings, but also its beautiful terroir of deep gravel soils, which are extremely consistent. This Margaux third growth also owns plots in the Haut-Médoc appellation for two labels: Ch. Duthil and Haut-Médoc de Giscours.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the estate:

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

About the estate:

The estate, leased by the Dutch Albada Jelgersma family, is managed by the talented Alexander Van Beek. Let's leave aside the legal disputes between the Tari family, who own the land, and the operators, and focus on the wines. Giscours benefits from a first-class terroir, as evidenced by many older vintages. Like many others, it went through a slight slump in the 1990s and 2000s. However, a major restructuring of the vineyard has enabled the estate to move forward, and the latest vintages have returned to its full and intense style.

Wine Enthusiast

About wine:

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

Vinous

About wine:

Giscours 2020 is just as convincing as it was in the barrel. Delicious notes of black cherry, plum, new leather, licorice, menthol, and mocha complement the layers nicely. This year, the wine contains a good dose of Merlot, which gives it a certain juiciness on the mid-palate and a certain depth of texture, but it also has significant supporting structure. The 2020 is both flamboyant and serious, a rather appealing combination, I must say. Tasted twice. 2028–2050

James Suckling

About wine:

Fascinating aromas of blueberries, crushed stones, and blackcurrants. Very aromatic. Full-bodied with juicy, creamy, and intense tannins. Slightly bitter and burnt citrus character. Very muscular with velvety tannins. It needs time to soften. Best enjoyed after 2025 but can age for a long time.

Terre de Vins

About wine:

You dip your nose into the glass and already an imposing substance announces itself, dense, deep, yet fresh, marked by raspberry and elderflower. The palate is impressive in its fleshiness and amplitude; it is powerful, smooth, and elegant, propelled by impeccable freshness. The tannins are beautifully precise. The wine has great length, and we'll talk about it again in 20 years.

Yves Beck

About wine:

I have never hidden my deep attachment to Giscours, the wine I shared during my first meal at a restaurant with the woman who would become my wife. And then I remember the brilliant 1964, or the 1966, not to mention the 2000 or the 2005. And then there is the 2020, which only serves to remind us that Giscours can be very great... and not just in terms of surface area! From the outset, the 2020 stands out for its freshness and floral nuances. It reveals iris aromas, while notes of blackcurrant appear after aeration. Very nice density on the palate, where the wine shines not only for its precision but also for its depth. The very compact tannins lend tremendous energy, together with a juicy, salty acid structure. An energetic, powerful, accomplished and persistent Giscours. Everything takes shape, everything comes together. Power and bitterness are essential assets for this wine, which offers great prospects and places Giscours where it deserves to be: right at the forefront! 2027-2047

The Wine Cellar Insider - Jeff Leve

About wine:

Richly colored, the wine opens with an intense bouquet of flowers, with additional nuances of tobacco leaf, earth, redcurrant, black cherry, spices, and cigar box. The wine is silky, vibrant, sensual, and long, with layers of ripe, sweet, vibrant red and black fruits that increase in intensity. The fruit is very pure and the palate is symmetrical, with a sexy finish. Drink between 2026 and 2055.