CHÂTEAU GISCOURS

Well judged and executed, with the vintage character coming through with the rich plum, cassis and fresh fig fruits, alongside black pepper and clove spices, but overall the feel is savoury, with austere tannins that are clearly revving up and have plenty of character. Impressive lift also, with juice running right through the palate, giving breath to the concentrated muscular tannic frame. Austerity also at this point, relatively rare and welcome in 2022, and emphasising a floral and smoky curl on the finish. 50% new oak. Entire harvest in the Grand Vin for the first time ever at Giscours (although I assume there must have been some of the production that was not bottled under the label). Axel Marchal consultant, Alexander Van Beek director. Drinking range: 2029 - 2044 Rating: 95 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (Apr 2023)

64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc. 50% new oak. 13.5% alc. A little raw and forced, this is a decent effort, but it seems too hard and tense, and the fruit cowers under the pungent oak. Perhaps this will integrate more during the élévage, but there is no doubt that this will always be an oak-dominated wine. Rating: 16.5+ Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (May 2023)

2022 will boast many records, including that of the lowest yield. This wine is also unusually concentrated whilst revealing a luminous, vibrant aspect to its fruit flavours. No sulphur was used during the vinification, and the result is a very expressive, pure profile. The "grand vin" accounts for 100% of the production. Rating: 95-96 La Revue du Vin de France (May 2023)

64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc. Cask sample. Deep purple. Neat, fresh, lively nose. A certain Margaux delicacy on the palate, plus the intensity of the vintage. No excess oak. Good balance suggests a wine with a good long life. A good Giscours with a definitively dry, tannic finish. 13.5% Drinking range: 2028 - 2043 Rating: 16.5+ Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (May 2023)

The blend of the 2022 from Giscours is 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc, with no second wine produced this year. It starts with a willing and defined expression of fruit on the nose, very elegant, precise and perfumed, with layers of fresh red cherry, powdered chalk, peach and white freesia, as if it is reflected on other recent vintages which also displayed distinctive perfume and quality. It starts in a quite succulent and convincing manner on the palate, showing harmony and poise which is maintained through the middle, with a richly polished substance wrapping up powdery and finessed tannins, with a rich grip in the finish. It has length, with finely perfumed fruit and lingering grip. Another strong showing from Giscours, a property on really good form in recent years. For the appellation, in this vintage, one of the stars. The alcohol is a modest 13.5%. Rating: 94-96 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (May 2023)

This is a big move forward for Giscours. Full-bodied yet agile and fresh with tannins that are precise and integrated, with great beauty and length. Well-structured and vivid. Extremely fine yet defined tannins, and then it opens like a butterfly. Rating: 97-98 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2023)

The 2022 Giscours is a regal, sophisticated wine. Succulent red cherry, blood orange, spice, menthol and rose petal lend notable vibrancy and freshness throughout. Most surprisingly, the 2022 remains light on its feet, especially for a wine made from such low yields in a warm, dry year. Over the last few years Giscours has been one of the most improved properties in the Médoc. The 2022 is another step in that direction. Sublime. Drinking range: 2030 - 2052 Rating: 95-97 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (May 2023)

With the 2022 Giscours, this estate takes another step up, delivering a deep and characterful wine redolent of cherries, dark berries, violets, peony and forest floor. Medium to full-bodied, broad shouldered and layered, it's deep and elegantly muscular, with impressive concentration, abundant but refined tannins and a structural authority reminiscent of the great Giscours vintages of the 1970s. Why is it so good? There are many reasons, but one is the high proportion of old vines—almost 60% of the blend deriving from vines that are over 50 years old—in a vintage that favored vines with deep, well-established root systems. Another is the increasing precision of harvesting at this address: Giscours's old vines are frequently co-planted with younger replacements that have filled any gaps in the ranks over the years; so, blocks are now picked in two or three passages instead of all at once, with the younger vines picked first. Rating: 94-96 William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (Apr 2023)