Chateau Giscours Margaux 2018
(Margaux, Bordeaux, France) - [JS 97] [DM 95] [WS 95] [VM 93] [JD 92] [WA 91]

About the Winery:
Château Giscours is a historic property in the Margaux appellation, with vines first planted in the 16th century. Since 1995, Château Giscours has entered a new era in its history following its acquisition by the Albada Jelgersma family.

Château Giscours is a Margaux wine made from 94 hectares of vines in production. A real jewel, the singularity of the terroir of Château Giscours lies in the presence of 3 deep Garonne gravel ridges which play a decisive role in the ripening cycle of the grapes.

About the Wine:
Château Giscours 2018 has all the characteristics of a Grand Vin: power, finesse and the capacity to travel through time. In this vintage, the particularly high percentage of Merlot in the final blend delivers to the wine a roundness and density that envelop the structure and the tannins naturally present on our soils of deep gravels.

The Cabernets reached perfect maturity thanks to a privileged Indian summer and they have been as always there to bring forward, through a gentle vinification, the structure, the freshness and the long ageing potential

Grape varieties:
55 % Cabernet Sauvignon
39 % Merlot
6 % Petit Verdot

Wine making:
Optical and manual sorting
Concrete and stainless steel tanks
Maceration 35 days at 28°C

Ageing in barrels:
French barrels
50% new oak
17 months of ageing in barrels

Ratings & Reviews

97 Points - James Suckling:
"Black currant, dried-blueberry, oyster-shell, black-olive, black truffle, and bitter-chocolate aromas. It’s full-bodied with firm, fine-grained tannins and fresh acidity. Savory and mineral layers interplay with the black fruit. Powerful and chewy yet very polished and beautiful.. Try from 2024." - (Jan 2021)

95 Points - Decanter Magazine:
"Deep purple in colour with violet edging, this is beating fast with juicy bramble fruit and life. You can feel the texture of the berries in the mouth, making this a luxurious, confident Giscours, with swirls of smoke backed up by spice. There's an effortless quality to the tannins, but this is definitely built to last. It easily stands up to the 2015 and 2016. Harvest lasted for a full month, from 12 September to 12 October. Aged in 50% new oak." - Jane Anson (Mar 2019)

95 Points - Wine Spectator:
"Very expressive, with violet and lilac notes followed by creamed plum and mulled blackberry and black currant fruit flavors. Subtle anise, juniper and sanguine notes thread the very long finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2024 through 2036." - James Molesworth (Mar 2021)

93 Points - Vinous Media:
"The 2018 Giscours has a very Burgundian bouquet with pure red cherries, cassis and violet scents, well defined and less ostentatious than some of its peers. The palate is quite voluminous and powerful, with thickly layered black fruit, black pepper and mint. It's missing the grace of the '16 but has impressive length. This will be fascinating to observe as it matures in bottle. (Drink between 2030-2055)." - Neal Martin (Apr 2025)

92 Points - Jeb Dunnuck:
"Lots of ripe black cherry and cassis fruits as well as graphite, lead pencil, and scorched earth notes emerge from the 2018 Château Giscours, a medium-bodied Margaux that has a fresh, focused texture, plenty of underlying structure, and the purity of fruit that's the hallmark of the vintage. This beautiful Margaux builds nicely with time in the glass, and while it plays in the more elegant side of the spectrum, it has terrific mid-palate depth, stunning balance, and outstanding length. I think the 2019 might ultimately surpass it, but it's certainly in the same ballpark as the 2016. Give bottles 3-5 years and enjoy over the following 20 years or more. (Drink between 2024-2044)." (Mar 2021)

91 Points - Wine Advocate:
"Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Giscours opens with fragrant notions of kirsch, black cherry compote and blackcurrant pastilles with suggestions of dried lavender, cinnamon stick and mossy tree bark. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers a good amount of red and black fruit flavors with compelling purity, framed by soft tannins and well-balanced freshness, finishing with a spicy lift." - Lisa Perrotti-Brown (Mar 2021)