Giscours

Château Giscours

Classification: Third Growth (3ème Cru)
Château Giscours can be dated to 1330 as a deed from that time refers to it with a fortified keep. Records of Château Giscours' vineyards go back to 1552 and Louis XIV was said to have enjoyed its wines. The Château is located in the commune of Labarde and is one of the largest Margaux properties.

The Château that we see today was built by the Count de Pescatore, a great Parisian banker, in 1847 in order to receive the Empress Eugénie (France's last Empress and wife of Prince Louis Napoleon). The estate was purchased by Nicolas Tari after the Second World War – who was one of the 11 judges to take part in the historic Judgement of Paris wine competition in 1976. Today the Château is owned by Eric Albada Jelgersma, a Dutch businessman, who also owns Château du Tertre. Jelgersma has breathed new life into the château, renovating both the vineyards and the cellars. The château is the home of Bordeaux Cricket Club.

The 210 acre vineyards of Château Giscours lie where the rivers of the Garonne and the Dordogne converge. It covers 4 outcrops made up of coarse gravel and sand over steep, well-drained slopes. This abundance of pebbles, creating poor, permeable conditions in the soil, contributes hugely to the high quality of the wines. The vineyards are split into 43 distinct plots, allowing an ideal, individualised matching of grape variety with terroir type. The grapes grown are 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot make up the remaining 5%. One quarter of the vines are over 40 years old.

Wine Style
Château Giscours' wines are a very deep purple with intense and concentrated flavours. The wines are richly aromatic and are high in tannin. The flavours are of blackberries, spice, blackcurrants and the bouquet can be floral (roses and blossom). They have a fresh acidity and are complex, elegant wines which age well.

Owner: E A Jelgersma (also owns Château du Tertre)
Château Website: www.chateau-giscours.fr
Oenologist: J Boissenot