A Labarde Third Growth with gravel, sand and limestone soils, a grand vin built for years of ageing and the fruitier La Sirène.
The producer
Château Giscours is a Third Growth in Labarde near Margaux, with a vineyard spread across three peaks and ground made mostly of gravel, sand and some limestone. The range pairs the Grand Cru Classé with La Sirène de Giscours, a second wine made in a more approachable, fruitier and seductive style. The grand vin carries black fruit and spice, with years of ageing ahead.
Known for
Labarde Third Growth Bordeaux reds
Notable facts
Château Giscours is classified as a Third Growth in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification.
The château is located in Labarde, near Margaux.
The vineyard has three peaks, with the highest reaching 32 meters.
La Sirène de Giscours is the second wine, with typically 10,000 cases produced annually.
Pierre Skawinski was hired to manage the estate in 1847.
Maceration is designed around duration, like an infusion, to achieve delicate, refined tannins.
The story
The Barn at Giscours
Nicolas Tari purchased Château Giscours in 1952 to find the main building in use as a barn. The vines had gone largely unmaintained through the war years; drainage channels had collapsed across much of the estate, and the 1855 Third Growth classification had attracted no buyer willing to arrest the slide. Tari hired a cellar master, cleared the outbuildings, and began replanting the vineyard parcel by parcel. His son Pierre took over the estate's direction in the 1960s and carried the work through to completion. By the mid-1970s Giscours was appearing on serious wine lists alongside estates from higher classifications, and the bottles from that decade drew critical marks the estate had not seen in fifty years.
From the atlas
Château Giscours
Château Giscours is a 1855 Third Growth in Labarde, with Château Giscours Grand Cru Classé and La Sirène de Giscours as its two named wines.
At A Glance
Classification
Third Growth in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification
Place
Labarde, near Margaux in Bordeaux
Range
Château Giscours Grand Cru Classé and La Sirène de Giscours
Site
Three peaks, with the highest reaching 32 meters; gravel, sand and some limestone
The Producer
Château Giscours is classified as one of the fourteen Troisièmes Crus, or Third Growths, in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification. Its range includes Château Giscours as the grand vin and La Sirène de Giscours as the second wine. In 1995, Eric Albada Jelgersma acquired a controlling stake in the wine growing business.
Place
Labarde is near Margaux in Bordeaux. Château Giscours's vineyard rises over three peaks, with the highest reaching 32 meters. The ground is mostly gravel with sand and some limestone. Gravel and sand drain readily, while limestone can retain moisture, giving the vines contrasting conditions in the soil.
Wines
Château Giscours is the grand vin, with approximately 25,000 cases produced annually. La Sirène de Giscours is the second wine, with typically 10,000 cases produced annually. The grand vin shows black fruit aromas, including blackberry and blackcurrant, with spicy notes and hints of liquorice. It is powerful and enchanting, with the capacity to age for years. La Sirène is made in a more approachable, fruitier and seductive style.
Final Word
Château Giscours's Grand Cru Classé red combines power with freshness.