Château Giscours
Château Giscours: history and quality of its wines
Château Giscours has a long and rich history and a strong identity created by the innovative and ambitious families who have owned it. It was first mentioned in a historical document as a fortified keep in the 14th century, but the first reference to it as a wine producer dates back to the mid-16th century. The estate was awarded the rank of 3rd Grand Cru in the official classification of 1855. An overview of the history of Domaine Giscours and a glimpse of its best vintages
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History of the Giscours estate
Before the French Revolution, this spectacular estate on the outskirts of Margaux, 20 minutes from Bordeaux, belonged to the Saint-Simon family. It was sequestered by the State as national property during this key period in French history and sold to two Americans: John Gray and Jonathan Davis in 1793. The estate subsequently changed hands several times, but the credit for the expansion of the site (over 200 hectares) and the construction of buildings, stables, presses, vats and cellars goes to Marc Promis. These renovations took place between 1825 and 1835. His efforts earned him the classification of 3rd Grand Cru in 1855. As for Eduard Cruse, he enhanced the estate's assets by converting it into a vast park and lush garden in 1875. A succession of owners followed until it was bought by Nicolas Tari in 1952, who also made a major contribution to the reconstruction, enlargement and modernisation of the site. The last change of ownership took place in 1995. At that time, Château Giscours was sold to Eric Albada Jelgersma, a Dutch businessman. But the estate experienced the darkest moment in its history in 1998, when it was accused of illegal practices against the laws of the Margaux appellation AOC by mixing fruit from the Haut Médoc appellation with other vines, milk, water and fruit acid. These include the 1995 and 1996 vintages. Former director Jean Michel Ferrandez admitted the allegations and passed them on to a former employee. Alexander van Beek, the Managing Director, with the agreement of the now late Eric Albada Jelgersma, made a change of team to restore the reputation of the establishment. Under Alexander Van Beek's leadership, the vineyards were also replanted, and machine harvesting was abandoned in favour of manual harvesting. This enabled the winery to obtain ISO 9002 certification in 2001 and regain its strong reputation for excellence.
Terroir and winemaking procedures at Domaine Giscours.
This large 300-hectare estate with 87 hectares of vineyards is planted with 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. The sandy-limestone terroir also contains gravel. The average age of the vines is 45 years, and they can reach a height of 32 metres. But the estate also has 70-year-old vines near the château. The estate adopts optical technology and the biodynamic approach, which proscribes the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilisers. The vinification process takes place in concrete and stainless steel vats ranging in size from 20 to 260 hl. 80% of the fermentation takes place in vats and 20% in concrete. The wines are then matured in 50% new French oak barrels for an average of 18 months
Quality of Château Giscours wines.
The estate's Grands Crus are renowned for their elegant, feminine style with great length on the palate and excellent value for money. These wines evolve magnificently with around ten years in bottle, reaching full maturity after 12 to 30 years, depending on the vintage. What's more, their wine always receives top marks from the international press.
-Château Giscours 1969: this violet-red wine from the Margaux appellation, 3rd GC 1855, stands out for its woody aromas of cedar, oak, fresh herbs and liquorice. On the palate, concentrated flavours and round, persistent tannins slowly gain in power. A wine that has benefited from the sublimation of time.
-Château Giscours 1974 Rehoboam: this elegant, complex red has a very attractive nose of black grapes, blackcurrants, tobacco, cork and leather. The wine has matured beautifully and is smooth and delicate on the palate, with soft tannins, subtle flavours and low acidity. A word of advice: for the best tasting experience, we recommend decanting the older vintages of Château Giscours for a few minutes. This wonderful wine from the estate goes well with charcuterie, but also dishes such as game, meat, fried fish..
-Château Giscours 1983: a younger Margaux compared with its predecessors, but just as superbly rich, with aromas of ripe red fruit, a little tobacco, medicinal herbs and ginger. On the palate, it is very juicy and smooth, with well-integrated flavours and a hint of bitterness on the finish. This sparkling wine, which still has a better life ahead of it, is on special offer on this site. Take advantage of the discount to buy this ideal drink to set the mood for an evening out with friends, a barbecue party, birthdays and celebrations. It's also a great deal for enthusiasts.
-Château Giscours 1989 (half-bottle): this red bouquet from the 3rd GCC 1855 is also on special offer on this site. This extraordinary bouquet of deep ruby with orange highlights is also one of the estate's best vintages. It gives off complex, creamy aromas of red and black fruits, raspberries, prunes and cranberries, as well as notes of coffee, violets and sweet earth. After an hour's decanting, it develops a perfect balance of sweet redcurrant, blackcurrant, red cherry, dried apricot and a hint of milk chocolate. All this with fine tannins and a long finish. A rich wine of very good quality, both pleasant and harmonious, which is already close to its peak. A must-taste.
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Deal for amateurs
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Promotion Deal for amateursBordeaux Margaux 3rd Growth 1855 LooseChâteau Giscours 1969 TSSpecial Price €90.00 €75.00 Regular Price €108.00 €90.00stock: 2
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Promotion Deal for amateursBordeaux Margaux 3rd Growth 1855 LooseChâteau Giscours 1972 FDSpecial Price €57.60 €48.00 Regular Price €66.00 €55.00stock: 1
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PromotionBordeaux Margaux 3rd Growth 1855 LooseChâteau Giscours 1976 MagnumSpecial Price €198.00 €165.00 Regular Price €228.00 €190.00stock: 8
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Promotion Deal for amateursBordeaux Margaux 3rd Growth 1855 LooseChâteau Giscours 1979 MSSpecial Price €70.80 €59.00 Regular Price €96.00 €80.00stock: 3
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PromotionBordeaux Margaux 3rd Growth 1855 LooseChâteau Giscours 1981Special Price €78.00 €65.00 Regular Price €84.00 €70.00stock: 6
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Promotion Deal for amateursBordeaux Margaux 3rd Growth 1855 LooseChâteau Giscours 1981 MSSpecial Price €66.00 €55.00 Regular Price €84.00 €70.00stock: 1
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Promotion Deal for amateursBordeaux Margaux 3rd Growth 1855 LooseChâteau Giscours 1981 TSSpecial Price €72.00 €60.00 Regular Price €84.00 €70.00stock: 3
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Bordeaux Margaux 3rd Growth 1855 Original Wooden Case of 12Château Giscours 1983€114.00 €95.00stock: 4
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Promotion Deal for amateursBordeaux Margaux 3rd Growth 1855 Original Wooden Case of 12Château Giscours 1983 MS SDSpecial Price €72.00 €60.00 Regular Price €114.00 €95.00stock: 2
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Promotion Deal for amateursBordeaux Margaux 3rd Growth 1855 Original Wooden Case of 12Château Giscours 1983 SDSpecial Price €96.00 €80.00 Regular Price €114.00 €95.00stock: 4
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Promotion Deal for amateursBordeaux Margaux 3rd Growth 1855 LooseChâteau Giscours 1985 Bouteille (75cl) ETASpecial Price €54.00 €45.00 Regular Price €84.00 €70.00stock: 1
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Promotion Deal for amateursBordeaux Margaux 3rd Growth 1855 LooseChâteau Giscours 1985 Demi Bouteille (37,5cl) ELASpecial Price €38.40 €32.00 Regular Price €42.00 €35.00stock: 1
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Promotion Deal for amateursBordeaux Margaux 3rd Growth 1855 Original Wooden Case of 12Château Giscours 1986 FDSpecial Price €64.80 €54.00 Regular Price €84.00 €70.00stock: 23
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Promotion Deal for amateursBordeaux Margaux 3rd Growth 1855 Original Wooden Case of 12Château Giscours 1986 SDSpecial Price €70.80 €59.00 Regular Price €84.00 €70.00stock: 10
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