CHÂTEAU GISCOURS
2018 3ème Cru Classé Margaux
This Giscours has a rich, dark fruited nose and the oak is still quite apparent. There's lots of sweet spice and toast in the background that should integrate over time. On the palate there is lots of volume and concentration but it's a little on the solid side. Not the most elegant or energetic Margaux but it will please many. The finish has big billowing tannins that will need plenty of time to mellow. Drinking range: 2028 - 2045L&S (Apr 2019)
* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.
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. Drinking range: 2024 - Rating: 97 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Jan 2021)
Dark and introverted but beckons you in to find out more. Soberly seductive. A dark, savoury charm, a smooth but compact texture. Gravelly like its site. Not obvious and in your face, but refined in its power. Opens up to dark perfume. Most elegant vintage of Giscours I have tasted. Drinking range: 2024 - 2033 Rating: 17 Julia Harding MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2019)
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Giscours delivers expressive notions of baked raspberries, Black Forest cake and sautéed herbs with a core of crème de cassis, pencil lead, fertile loam and fallen leaves. Full-bodied, taut and muscular in the mouth with earth-laced baked black fruits, it has a firm, chewy texture and refreshing herbal sparks on the finish. Rating: 90-92 Lisa Perrotti-Brown, RobertParker.com (Apr 2019)
The black color indicates a solid and structured red with loads of blackberry and blueberry character. Full-bodied and very tight and tensioned. Savory tannins that are powerful and intense at the finish. Classically structured. Finely toned and formed young red. Rating: 96-97 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2019)
The blend is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, with 39% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot, and the alcohol is 13.7%. It begins with a dark, slightly reticent, lightly smoky character on the nose, but drawing back these curtains reveals veins of blackcurrant, currant, black bean and chalk dust which bring an aromatic interest and sense of confidence to the nose. There follows a very attractive texture on the palate, fresh and pure, with a charming substance, one which hides some well-integrated oak notes as well as a firm bed of solid, broad and finely grained tannins. This has substance and confidence, energy and balance, and is imbued with certain potential. A great success for Alexandre van Beek, Didier Fôret and team. Well done. The élevage will be in 50% new oak. Rating: 94-96 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2019)
This is a powerful wine with a great future that displays a rich, juicy blackberry flavor and ripe tannins. It is well-structured and generous in fruit, yet well balanced and shows promise for the future. Rating: 96 Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast www.winemag.com (Apr 2019)
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. Drinking range: 2027 - 2042 Rating: 95 Jane Anson, Decanter (Mar 2019)
Château Giscours
Margaux Troisième cru 1855 Château Giscours has had many owners over the years since Pierre de Lhomme bought "Guyscoutz" in 1552 and laid out an estate and vineyards. The present château was built in 1847 by Count de Pescatore. Like many Bordelais estates, Giscours was in poor condition after World War II, but its fortunes were rescued by Nicolas Tari who bought the property in 1954 and set about restoring and enlarging Giscours. In 1995, Giscours' business activities were purchased by Eric Albada Jelgersma, the owner of near-by Château du Tertre. The 83ha of vineyard are 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. The Grand Vin spends 15 to 18 months in wood (50% new). Château Giscours is home to the Bordeaux Giscours Cricket Club - the national champions!
Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those on the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do contact our private client team via email or on 020 7018 0187.
Ordering
Prices are all in bond by the case size stated.
Pre-Orders are a firm commitment to buy wines on release, as long as the release price is within the upper and lower price bands set by you on the pre-order form. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability but providing this firm commitment to buy effectively gives you priority and is a good idea for the most desirable wines.
Wines listed on the website can be ordered in the usual way via the website wishlist order form. You can also send orders directly to our private client team via email. Please note that, for the most sought-after wines, priority will be given to those who ordered the same wines last year and to those that have pre-ordered.
Confirmation
All orders will be confirmed by email and are binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of email confirmation. Pre-orders are not binding if the release price is above your upper price band.
Invoices are all raised at the in bond price (excluding any duty and VAT) which will become payable at the prevailing rates when the wines arrive in the UK, should you wish to take duty paid delivery.
Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We regret we cannot accept credit cards for en primeur orders. We reserve the right to apply a dunning charge of 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.
Delivery
- Shipment to our bond (at LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
- Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
- Other deliveries (In Bond and Duty Paid) are also free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £500. Orders below this total will be charged an administration and handling fee of £16.50+ VAT when invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
- Delivery of 2024 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2027. Delivery dates may vary as wines are shipped from Bordeaux at different times.
Practical notes - how it works
We start a sale in each customer's name and add all their primeur orders to one sale which is invoiced at the end of the campaign (or when the customer wishes). Immediate payment of invoices is then required by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option but please note that confirmed orders are still binding even if the final invoice has not yet been issued.
Please specify on your wishlist order form where you would like the wines shipped on arrival in the UK. If this is to a third-party bonded warehouse, please specify the relevant account details. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue a second invoice for duty and VAT at the prevailing rate when the wines are available for delivery.
Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.
One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the format you want. While most of our listings are for 75cl bottles, we can source wines in any format that is offered by the Château. Please note that format requests cannot be changed once wines have been invoiced. Additional charges for special formats do apply and are as follows:-
- +£18.00 per case of 12 half-bottles
- +£30.00 per case of 24 half-bottles
- +£7.50 per case of 3 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
- +£11.00 per case of 6 Magnums
- +£45.00 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
- +£60.00 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.
Storage Options:
Wines bought en primeur won't arrive in the UK until 2027. If you do not wish to take home delivery at that point, you may wish to consider where you would like the wines shipped. Lea & Sandeman offers duty paid and in bond storage through a dedicated storage company called Elephant Storage. For more details on the terms and fees associated with storage please go to our Storage Homepage or contact our private client team for more information.