Chateau Giscours Tour December 2011

Chateau Giscours is a winery in the Margaux appellation, in the commune of Labarde of the Bordeaux region of France.  The estate compromises over nearly 400 hectares, of which 80 is under wine,  and is spread out over Margaux and Haut Medoc appellations.  

Oak barrel aging

The composition of grape varieties is 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot and the remainder Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.The grapes are fermented in temperature-controlled tanks and the wine is then aged in small oak barrels (30-40% new) for 18 months. Like many Chateau's the oak barrels are sourced from around 6 different cooper.  This  enhance the complexity of the resulting wine but also ensures that any unique characteristics or problems with the barrel are minimised. After all its about the grape not the barrel!

Tanks outside - electricity bill!

Strangely, many of the tanks were outside, probably a result of an increase in production without suitable investment. I was reliably informed the lack of infrastructure was due to an ongoing disagreement between the Chateau owners. Plans were in place to expand adjacent  building and enclose the tanks in 2012. I couldn't help but think of the substantial cost of electricity in the meantime. The tanks inside were also curiously enclosed in cement - something i have not seen at any other chateau. Our host claimed the cement structure gave them an advantage in control temperate - a passing comment every winery, regardless of the tank builds, claim. 

The wine

Ch Giscours label

Giscours produces richly aromatic wines that are powerful on the palate, displaying ripe, black fruit and cassis fruit with hints of cedar and new oak. You will find notes of licorice, black truffles,  flowers and soil undertones. 

These are the types of wines i love and the reason i prefer the right bank. The price per bottle ranges between £30 and £100, depending on the vintage; and the most notable vintages are unsurprisingly 2000, 2005, 2009 and 2010. 

I would thoroughly recommend a visit to the Chateau. It's very accessible (ie you can actually get a tour and tasting) - unlikely many other Chateau's in the area and you can buy wine directly from the chateau. Its very interesting seeing a winery that is somewhere between an industrial large scale production, such as Chateau Beaumont and the first growth Chateau Latour.

Château Giscours is also the home ground to the current National Cricket Champions, the Bordeaux Giscours Cricket Club.