Chateau Giscours Chateau Giscours (Grand Cru Classe) 2016

Château Giscours has constantly reinvented itself to survive the centuries.

Pierre de Lhomme, Marc Promis, Jean-Pierre Pescatore, Edouard Cruse, Nicolas Tari and now the Albada Jelgersma family – all ambitious and visionary estate owners who were passionate about pulling together the estate’s land and giving this vineyard, named a Third Grand Cru Classé in 1855, a reputation for excellence.

Dry and meagre 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.

On these arid, eroded soils formed of alluvial deposits, Garonne gravel transported from the Pyrenees during the Quaternary period, topography formed in the shape of what are known in the Médoc as ‘croupes gravelleuses’, or gravel hilltops. They allow excess water to drain off and enable Cabernet Sauvignon, the primary grape variety, to express itself to the full.

Giscours has three major hills, and blending these together is what gives Giscours wines their power and complexity:

Grand Poujeau & Petit Poujeau

To the west of the estate, reaching up 21 metres, Grand Poujeau is made up almost entirely of peyrosols. Brought here by the Garonne and the Dordogne, this beautiful gravel – of remarkable size – forms warm soils that are particularly well suited to Cabernet Sauvignon and enable high levels of ripeness.

Bel Air

This 12-metre hilltop has a high proportion of brunisols (gravelly sand to sandy gravel), considered to be a cooler terroir that likes hot and dry years.

The Giscours plateau, known as Cantelaude

At 17 metres, this is a clever combination of the two previous terroirs, providing fullness and depth to Merlot but also beautiful complexity to Cabernet Sauvignon.

On its hilltops, the vines’ root systems reach down up to ten or so metres, drawing the water they need in dry periods from subsurface layers of the soil. The grape varieties of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot are therefore protected from extremes of climate.

Château Giscours 2016 has all the qualities of a great Margaux.

2016 has been a year with beautiful weather conditions for the elaboration of a Great Wine : a mild spring, ideal for the development of the vines, and a dry summer with moderate temperatures.

During harvest, each fruit has been picked at its best. Château Giscours 2016 is a wine full of elegance, well balanced and presents two qualities particularly loved at Giscours : aromatic brilliance and finesse of the tannins.

"This has attractive, glossy, ripe red-plum and licorice aromas with cedar, flowers and red berries, as well as a stony edge. A very fragrant, cabernet-driven nose. The palate has elegance and grace with sleek and charming, balanced style and a discreet tannin structure that holds the finish long and fresh. A blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19% Merlot. Try from 2023."

James Suckling

Award:

96 James Suckling

96 Wine Enthusiast

95 Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider

93 Robert Parker

92 Wine Spectator

90 Tim Atkin

VIVINO 4.2