Chateau Giscours 3eme Cru Classe, Margaux 2019

The 2019 Giscours is every bit as compelling today as it was from barrel. Dark and sumptuous in feel, Giscours shows off its notable dimension and breadth. Succulent black cherry, plum, leather, tobacco, menthol and licorice intensify as this gorgeous, beautifully layered Margaux builds with time in the glass. The 2019 is a big wine, but not quite as exuberant as the 2018. Tasted two times

Lots of deep blue fruit with blackberries and grape skins, as well as tar and asphalt. Lead, too. It’s full-bodied, yet very tight with powerful, defined tannins, surrounded by attractive ripe fruit. Serious. Reminds me of the excellent 1975. A blend of 65% cabernet sauvignon and 35% merlot.

The 2019 Giscours has been a little variable from bottle to bottle. This is definitely one of the better ones: more defined and mineral-driven than the '18, with blackberry, wild strawberry and cedar unfolding on the nose. The oak is neatly integrated. Very poised, the palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins, lightly spiced with white pepper and Provençal herbs on the finish. This has a lot of potential.

The 2019 Giscours has turned out very well in bottle, wafting from the glass with aromas of sweet berries, cherries, burning embers, lilac and violets framed by a discreet patina of new oak. Full-bodied, layered and concentrated, it's polished and perfumed, with a velvety, seamless profile and bright animating acids, concluding with a long, resonant finish. Alexandre Van Beek and his team are taking this estate to heights it hasn't hit since the 1970s, and this is another of the great bargains of the 2019 en primeur campaign.

Rosebuds, smoked clove spices and violets give a classical Margaux feel on the nose, and provide an enticing opening to what is a well constructed wine, with chewy tannins and an architectural, structured feel overall. Much of the structure is hidden at this point, but no question that this is a Giscours with personality and potential for long ageing. First vintage with Thomas Duclos as consultant, harvest September 11 to October 12, with vines separated according to age and terroir. 44hl/ha yield.

Checking in as a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot, the 2019 Château Giscours is one heck of an impressive Margaux. Deep purple-hued, with a great nose of both black and blue fruits as well as sappy herbs, tobacco, and flowers, it has nicely integrated oak, medium to full body, ripe yet certainly present tannins, and a great finish. It's beautifully done. Hide bottles for 4-6 years and enjoy over the following two decades or so.