Deep, ruby, tight rim. Fresh cherry and cassis fruit, followed by liquorice, with a tone of mineral and spice. The palate reflects the nose, slightly herbal, minty clean, with a firm structure. Tannins are full; body structured. The aftertaste is intense and round a la style Boissenot.; medium-bodied with long length; a masculine Margaux, a sleeper. Some scores are low; hence the price is still reasonable; however, WE, JS and RP scores are consistent at 92 to 93 levels, such as:
WE93. Barrel Sample. While the wine is closed and rigid, it's full of potential. Ripe berry fruits are there, buried for the time being beneath the tannins, but as they come through, they emphasize the wine's inherent generosity, which will continue to develop with age. Edited.
RP92. The Château d'Issan, a blend of 26% Merlot and 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, has a simple, light redcurrant and cranberry-scented bouquet with a pleasant floral aspect. The palate is medium-bodied with ripe tannins, with good depth considering its peers' performance and good definition on the finish. At last - a decent Margaux 2013! Edited.
92 JS. A great core of ripe fruit for the appellation of Margaux. Medium body, with blueberry and strawberry character. Fine tannins. Fresh finish. Extremely well done. Edited.
2007 gave a ripe merlot, tannins, and firm with assertive Cabernet fruit a la style the Commune Larbade, along with tones of violets,
pepper and herbal nuances on the nose, which reflect the palate. The colour is bright and of deep ruby.
So this Giscours is quite masculine to start; the medium finish is elegant, though. Some 80% of the Malolactic fermentation occurs in the tank, and 20% occurs in the barrel. The wine of Chateau Giscours is aged in 50% new French oak barrels for an average of 18 months. Scores are low, in the 86 to 90 range; hence the price is played down, so still, a bargain for a Margaux Cru with 16 years behind. After all, the Wine Enthusiast tasters awarded 93 points; Jeannie Cho Lee awarded 91.
Updated: May 23, 2024
Deep ruby with a tight rim shows some potential. This 2017 gives Pauillac a perfumed black and red currant fruited nose. The firm palate flows fruit-coated tannins; the taste reflects the nose and balances nicely with the red-fruited(strawberries particularly) mid-palate flavours. Stylistically, this 2017 may be preferred by some for the freshness and lighter approach, but in recent vintages, such as this 2017, the style has more punch and longevity. It is a famous claret in Hong Kong and has a reputation for being well-priced. This 2017 used to be the tasting teams' house wine for Bordeaux Claret.
Langoa Barton 2017 is underrated, considering its high-cost performance in terms of excellent and consistent score ratings(WE94, JS94, VindeVert94; JMQ 93 and WS for 93). Some UK merchants would imagine this is a second wine of Leoville Barton. We don't think so, mainly for stylistic reasons: Langoa never resembled the 'elder' brother Leoville. We believe this second wine reasoning is because the Bartons happened to work under the same roof for ages.
This is a superlatively good traditional Saint-Julien, combining power and finesse with the ability to age in the medium term and improve over many years. A blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc, it ages 20 months in oak barrels (50% new) and will age for 12 to 40 years, in many cases longer. Foursquare is very stable in quality, and this 2017 can age over ten years even for being a lighter and more elegant vintage.
