Château Giscours, 2024

"The 2024 Giscours has turned out very well indeed. Offering up incipiently complex aromas of dark berries and cherries mingled with orange zest, licorice, violets and burning embers, it's medium to full-bodied, with good density and richness, with a layered, rather muscular palate and a long, expansive finish. The 2024 is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. The estate retained cover crops to amplify the dry conditions in July and August, accelerating ripening, and once again picked by vine age within blocks, bringing in the younger-vine fruit earlier before it could rot. Merlot came in between 19 and 28 September, and the Cabernet Sauvignon was picked very late, between 1 and 11 October."

"Plush, impressive colour, with medium to full intensity inky plum. Good quality, feels like a true En Primeur sample with its fragrance, austerity, well built tannins, impressive, sappy, savoury and understated black fruits. Will take its time to show the fragrant heart of Margaux, but it's in there. Alex Van der Beek director. Famille Albada Jelgersma. 35 hl/ha yield."

"(Margaux; 60% Cabernet Sauvignon; 31% Merlot; 6% Cabernet Franc; 3% Petit Verdot; a final yield of 35 hl/ha; 13% alcohol; tasted twice, first at the UGC press tasting at the Cité du Vin and then re-tasted at the property with Jérôme Poisson). Picked in successive tries – with the old vine Cabernet picked in some cases 10 days apart from the young Cabernet. Coiled and beautiful in its slightly wistful, dark berry and cherry aromatics. A touch of walnut oil. The florality is very delicate and there’s a hint of incense and candle smoke that I love here, again very delicate. Cool and beautifully composed with a pronounced spherical core densely packed with bright, vivid dark berry fruits. Crystalline in texture and nicely layered if lacking a little of the detail of the 2022 and 2023; but with all of the focussed precision of both. Very composed and beguiling."