2021 Giscours

The 2021 Giscours has an elegant and well-defined bouquet with violet and iris flower, quintessentially Margaux, with just a hint of mocha in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly chalky tannins and modest weight. Quite saline in the mouth, it just misses a bit of weight and grip on the finish. This is a fine earlier-drinking Giscours.

Slightly closed and inward aromatically, the 2021 Château Giscours nevertheless shines for its depth, balance, and elegance on the palate. Ripe red and black fruits, graphite, and hints of tobacco slowly open up in the glass, and this hits the palate with medium-bodied richness, good mid-palate depth and concentration, and enough tannins to benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age. This is one 2021 that should still be drinking nicely at age 20.

The 2021 Giscours has a powerful bouquet, more-so than many of its Margaux peers: blackberry, blueberry and raspberry fruit, hints of iris flower and cedar. This is a Margaux that wants to make its presence felt despite the limitations of the season. The palate is medium-bodied with a strong marine/seaweed influence on the entry, sapid and almost briny (which I like), demonstrating fine cohesion and plenty of freshness toward the finish. It lacks a bit of sustain, but otherwise, this is a commendable showing.