PV Tasting Notes
Giscours has been trying to drag itself up by its bootstraps for more than a decade; I think it has just managed to complete the task. I have never tasted a better wine from this estate, gorgeous aromas of ripe fresh fruit, sweet fresh earth, smoke and mineral. The palate is concentrated with a solid core of beautifully ripe fruit, full and fine tannins, this is both sexy and sumptuously built, precise, age worthy, and should be a bargain given its un-elevated position which has not matched its pedigree for millennia.
Independent Review92-95 points James Suckling The Wine Spectator April 2010
Subtle and pretty on the nose, with blueberry, blackberry and hints of flowers. Full and very fine, showing a beautiful texture of polished tannins. Wonderfully long and balanced. 53 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 7 percent Cabernet Franc, and the rest is Merlot. —J.S.
91-93 points Robert Parker Wine Advocate April 2010
This is the finest Giscours I have tasted in my professional career. Succulent and sexy with an inky/purple color, it offers sweet aromas of subtle barbecue smoke, graphite, blackberries, blueberries, and spring flowers. The tannins are remarkably sweet, substantial, and well-integrated, and the wine is full-bodied as well as voluptuously textured. It is a head-turning, exuberant, flashy effort that should drink well for 20-25 years. Bravo! (Tasted three times.)
4 Stars Steven Spurrier – Decanter Magazine June 2010
Expressive black fruit, elegant lift from Cabernet, fine density of fruits, lots of depth and vineyard character.
Chateau Giscours was virtually decimated in the first half of the century due to the planting of Hybrid vines, by the mid 50s it had fallen far below its traditional place amongst the 3rd Growth classified estates. However the vineyard was entirely reconstituted in the late 50s though grafting of first class vines, it has taken many decades for the quality of Giscours to get back to its position in the 1855 classification. Records of the estate date back to 1552 when it changed hands to Pierre de l’Horme. The Chateau itself with its two great wings stands at the head of one of the most magnificent parks in Bordeaux, with a lake and lily-choked canals. The quality lately has made great strides and the wine deserves its growing reputation.