2005 Château Giscours

Château Giscours, in the commune of Labarde, is in the Margaux appellation. It is a Third Growth estate. Archival references to the estate date to the 14th century and by the 16th century it was a noted wine-producing estate. After the French Revolution it was briefly owned by two Americans, but by the mid-19th century it was owned by a French banker, Count de Pescatore, who hired Pierre Skawinski to manage it. Skawinski managed the estate for 50 years and was responsible for greatly improving the estate’s viticulture and wines. It was purchased in the 1950s by the dynamic viticulturalist Pierre Tari, who made great improvements, and today the estate is owned by Eric Albada Jelgersma. The estate’s 197 acres of vineyards are planted to 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc. About 300,000 bottles are produced annually.

Margaux is one of Bordeaux’s most famous appellations and also one of its largest, with about 3,400 acres of vineyards. Located on the Left Bank of the Gironde River, Margaux has the greatest number of classified-growth châteaux (or crus classé) according to the 1855 classification. There are twenty-one crus classé, including the most famous estate, the first growth Château Margaux. The Margaux appellation includes vineyards around the village of Margaux and the villages of Arsac, Cantenac, d’Issan, Labarde and Soussans. Wines from the best Margaux châteaux and vintages are prized for their perfumey fragrance and elegant, silky mouthfeel. Margaux wines are predominately Cabernet Sauvignon blended with Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc.