Château Giscours 2024 en Primeur

A little shy on the nose, needs some coaxing, blackcurrant, blackberry and dark cherry fruit. Dried flowers, roses, violets, milk chocolate, creamy. Lovely texture on the palate, filling and round, plush and gently firm. Grippy but not overdone. Some enjoyable austerity but the structure is there and this has mouthwatering acidity. Dried herbs, mint, salty stones, tobacco and some dried spices. Well built with a sense of character. 3% Petit Verdot completes the blend. Ageing 50% new oak barrels. 3.71pH. Tasted three times. A yield of 35hl/ha. (Georgina Hindle)

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. (William Kelley)

Based on 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot, and 10% Petit Verdot, the 2024 Château Giscours offers beautiful darker currants, cassis, and violets intermixed with classy oak notes. Medium-bodied and nicely concentrated on the palate, it offers elegant tannins, beautiful balance, and impressive length. The harvest was very late here, and it shows in the depth and concentration of the wine.

The 2024 Giscours is impressive. Elegant and sleek, with fine balance, Giscours is all class. The bouquet alone is so enticing. Small red berry fruit, spice, tobacco, mint and cedar are all finely sketched in a mid-weight, nervy Giscours that is quite showy right out of the gate. There is a bit of edginess in the tannins, but that's not anything that can't be addressed with élevage. A closing burst of aromatics leaves a long-lasting impression. Tasted three times. (Antonio Galloni)

A fresh and vivid red, showing blackcurrants, herbs and hints of needles and dried flowers. Medium-bodied. Nicely chewy tannins extend to the medium-long finish, which is bright, firm and linear. A Giscours that shows the elegance and balance of the vintage. 60% cabernet sauvignon, 31% merlot, 6% cabernet franc and 3% petit verdot.

Dark ruby, opaque core, purple reflections, delicate edge brightening. A bouquet of red forest berries, fresh heart cherry, a hint of liquorice, fresh plum. Fresh, red berry, full of finesse, mineral-saline nuances on the finish, currant on the finish, fine savouriness in the aftertaste. (13% Vol., 50% new wood). (Peter Moser)

Black fruit and some clove and clay aromas. Floral notes of rosehip and violet underneath. Tight and inviting. Some creaminess already on the palate and well balanced bright tannins and fresh juicy acidity. This will provide delicious drinking in the mid to long term. A lovely wine for the vintage.