CHÂTEAU GISCOURS
2019 3ème Cru Classé Margaux
A new dawn for Giscours? There is a weight and a brood here compared to stablemate, du Tertre, and the tannins are firmer a touch more hairy - but the juice is fragrant intense dark fruits and nicely spiced. Good feel and chew - but smooth too. Attractive Giscours in 2019. Lots has changed here this year. Lorenzo Pesquini bought in - working with Thomas Duclot THey have worked hard on the Merlot - bringing them in sooner and improving the quality of this element a lot. Much juicier and fresher. 65% Cabernet Sauvignon & 35% Merlot. Usually one of the most hefty of all Margaux properties. Have done a really close study of the effects of Hydric stress on the vines. so have changed their harvesting - much more precise now - passing through each vineyard 3 or 4 times (Sauternes style says Alexander) Less press wine went in to this 1st wine - just 2-3 percent. As a vintage this is close to 2016 - but because of the work they have been doing this is more precise than anything before Alexander Von Beek stressed during our tasting together. It certainly is successful.
* 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.
The 2019 Giscours has a well-defined, quite tertiary nose, very precise and minerally, detailed and effortless. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, fresh on the entry, quite edgy with a lively, almost citrus-fresh finish that urges you to take another sip. Maybe not the substance for long-term cellaring, but delicious. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting. Drinking range: 2025 - 2038 Rating: 93 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)
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 Drinking range: 2029 - 2049 Rating: 96 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2022)
The 2019 Giscours has certainly calmed down since its bravura performance from barrel, now more streamlined and focused, albeit retaining that black and blue fruit interlaced with pressed violet. The harmonious palate is very finely tuned and beautifully structured, with a touch of salinity. This is one of the more precise Giscours in recent years, perhaps partly due to consultant Thomas Duclos, who began working with the estate in 2018 (he was actually born nearby). This reminds me of some of the classic Giscours such as the 1966 or the 1970. It may even merit a higher score with bottle age. Drinking range: 2025 - 2060 Rating: 95 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2022)
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. Drinking range: 2029 - 2046 Rating: 94 Jane Anson, Decanter (Jan 2022)
Really solid for the vintage, with a fresh edge to the mix of black currant, blackberry and fig paste flavors. This wine's energy extends through the finish, where humus, singed cedar, savory and iron-tinged minerality add range and cut. Still shows the vintage's excessive heat, but this manages it better than most of its peers. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2023 through 2035. —J.M. Rating: 93 James Molesworth, The Wine Spectator (Jan 2022)
The 2019 Giscours is ripe and extrovert on the nose with exuberant black cherries, blueberry and crushed violets bursting from the glass. This is very seductive. The palate is medium-bodied with a tang of seaweed infusing the black fruit on the entry, segueing into more tarry notes toward the well structured finish. This articulates a sense of completeness that I appreciate. The persistency is impressive. This is a superb, potentially long-term Giscours that may well end up at the top of my banded score. Drinking range: 2025 - 2060 Rating: 94-96 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Jun 2020)
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 Rating: 96-97 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2020)
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 2026. 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 2026. 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.