Chateau Giscours 2016

JAMES SUCKLING: JAMES SUCKLING:"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."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: WINE ENTHUSIAST:"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."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER:"Ruby gem in color, the wine is floral, with hints of licorice, cocoa, crème de cassis and tobacco in the perfume. Vibrant, silky, sensuous and energetic, the fruit offers its sweet, juicy sensations with ease. The finish, with its length, purity and poise makes you want to take another sip, just for the pleasure."

WEINWISSER: WEINWISSER:"Sattes Purpur mit violetten Reflexen. Dichtes, fruchtig-würziges Bouquet mit Holunder, Rosenholz und Earl Grey-Noten. Am kräftigen Gaumen mit viel Kraft und einer feinen Adstringenz, im langen Finale mit Schlehensaft und Wacholder. Ist heuer ein Powerpack, weniger elegant als sonst, aber mit grossen Reserven ausgestattet!"

DECANTER: DECANTER:"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."

FALSTAFF: FALSTAFF:"Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, dezente Randaufhellung, mit einem Hauch von Nougat unterlegte dunkle Beerenfrucht, ein Hauch von Edelholz. Saftig, reife Kirschen, präsente Tannine, frisch strukturiert, mineralischer Abgang, gutes Entwicklungspotenzial."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: THE WINEADVOCATE:"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."

JEB DUNNUCK: JEB DUNNUCK:"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."

WINE SPECTATOR: WINESPECTATOR:"This is on the darker side of the ledger, with well-melded black currant, blackberry and black cherry fruit, infused with brambly energy and allied to a graphite spine on the anise-tinged finish. Features a light woodsy echo at the very end, but there's plenty of flesh here. Best from 2022 through 2032. 34,667 cases made. — JM"