"94-96 Points - Neal Martin, The Wine Advocate
The 2015 Giscours is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. That is in stark comparison to older vintages, for example the 2000 Giscours that was 50/50 Cabernet and Merlot. This vintage is matured in 50% new oak. Winemaker Alexandre Van Beek told me that the 2015 "...reflects the true terroir at Giscours that created the great wines of the 1960s and 1970s." That is something to live up to with fresh memories of the 1961 in my brain. The bouquet is very intense and almost "untamed" at first, but it calms down in the glass, revealing attractive scents of blackberry, raspberry, cedar and graphite. This is a Giscours determined to make a good impression...and it does. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, very pure, a little spicier than recent vintages, adorned with a gentle crescendo in the mouth towards a really quite fantastic, tensile, complex and compelling finish. Having tasted the 1961 and 1970 Giscours just a few months ago, I wager that the 2015 will be the best since the 1961. Time to fall back in love with this great Margaux property. Drink 2025-2060. Reviewed April 2016"
Giscours was confiscated during the revolution and sold in 1793 to two Americans from Boston, John Gray, and Jonathan Davis. After that, a myriad of owners including in the early 20th century the Cruse family. In 1954 Chateau Giscours was purchased by Nicolas Tari who had to start a huge replanting programme as the vineyard area was only extended to 10 ha at this time. In 1995, Chateau Giscours was sold to Eric Albada Jelgersma who invested heavily to lift the property out of the doldrums. He appointed Alexander van Beek to oversee the property and much of the credit for the resurgence of Giscours must be credited to Alexandre. Alexandre hugely increased the planting of Cabernet Sauvignon and re-introduced manual harvesting. Progress has been notable since 2000 with a step change in 2009 and again in 2015 and 2019 with the introduction of Thomas Duclos as a consultant. Giscours is once again flying high and producing classic wines with sumptuous fruit and great longevity. 83 hectares planted with 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 10 Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot
