Giscours 2016 (750ML)

96 JS / 96 WE / 94 DE / 94 VM / 93 WA / 93 JD

This has attractive, glossy, ripe red-plum and licorice aromas with cedar, flowers and red berries, as well as a stony edge. A very fragrant, cabernet-driven nose. The palate has elegance and grace with sleek and charming, balanced style and a discreet tannin structure that holds the finish long and fresh. A blend of 81 per cent cabernet sauvignon and 19 per cent merlot. Try from 2023. - James Suckling

This nearly 200-acre estate lies in the south of the Margaux appellation. The wine is another great success in a series of superb years. It is rich but the structure and finely textured fruit give it style and longevity. Drink the wine from 2026. - Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast

Concentrated autumnal fruit offers a hawthorny bramble of blackberry and bilberry. Big-framed, muscular tannins are joined by plenty of acidity - it's very clearly built to last and confident in its ability to reward those with patience. Matured in 50% new oak. Axel Marchal and Valerie Lavigne consult. - Jane Anson, Decanter

The 2016 Giscours comes off the back of the superlative 2015, not an easy wine to follow. It clearly boasts more horsepower on the nose compared the de Tertre, presenting layers of blackberry, cedar and crushed violet aromas that leap from the glass. The medium-bodied palate is crisp and focused, with grainy tannin and a pencil-box-infused finish. Winemaker Alexandre van Beek has retained the density this Margaux showed out of barrel, to offer a classy wine that will benefit from several years in bottle. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Giscours gives up aromas of cassis, chocolate, earth, tar, pepper and hoisin with touches of flowers and a meaty nuance. The palate is medium to full-bodied, firm and grainy with a great core and a long finish. - LPB, Wine Advocate

The 2016 Château Giscours is fabulous stuff, offering a beautiful, complex (and classic Margaux) perfume of smoke tobacco, black currants, truffly earth, and spring flowers. Finesse-driven, medium-bodied, and seamless on the palate, it has ultra-fine tannins and no hard edges, and is already drinking beautifully. Nevertheless, it’s going to benefit from 3-4 years of bottle age and cruise for 20-25 years or more. The blend of the 2016 is 81% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19% Merlot and it’s well worth a case purchase. - Jeb Dunnuck