1997 Giscours
Estimated value
Buying options
Tasting notes
The 1997 Giscours is actually much better than the previous vintage: more brightness and vigour, more red fruit, more tension and terroir expression. Quite floral in style. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly rustic tannins, ferrous red fruit, moderate weight and just a little attenuation on the finish. That said, considering the vintage, this has held up well. I would choose it over the 1996 Giscours.
Critic scores
Average Score
Wine Spectator
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
A challenging vintage, and we needed a second bottle to unearth the charm, so be careful about variation. The sound bottle showed plenty of character, tobacco leaf, old books, loganberry fruit, balance and sipidity. Ready to drink, with plenty to enoy, this really is in a great moment, juicy, understated, subtle and delicous. Cross your fingers for a good bottle. Pascal Ribereau-Gayon consultant.
Tasted at the Château Giscours vertical, the 1997 Château Giscours is a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Merlot picked between September 18 and October 9. Quite mature in appearance, the nose is likewise fully mature with smudged red fruit, leather and dried herbs. The palate is medium-bodied with dry, scrawny tannin, quite bitter in the mouth with a blunt, enervated finish. This should have been consumed a decade ago, though it was never one of my favorite vintages from the estate. Tasted June 2015.
Pleasant and fruity, with a nice complement of new wood, but diluted on the finish. Drink now. -James Suckling, Wine Spectator 2000
About the producer
Ch. Giscours is a Third Growth estate situated in the Médoc appellation of Margaux. With a long and somewhat chequered history, the estate has seen an impressive rise in quality since the early 2000s and is only getting better.