2009 Château Giscours, Margaux, Bordeaux

53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 7% Cabernet Franc.

Purple-ruby. Enticing aromas of cassis, violet, quinine and ink. Sweet, dense and suave, with noteworthy precision to its plum and cassis flavours. Finishes very smooth and long, with a persistent note of smoky plum. Lovely wine, with the ready-to-drink charm typical of the 2009, even if it's a little simple today. But this wine is beginning to close down and should keep splendidly, likely picking up further complexity.

This powerful yet well-structured Margaux has a lot of positive cabernet sauvignon character cassis, ripe plum) for the appellation—long, very clean, positive finish.

Drink or hold

Round and polished and a pleasant drink but obviously simpler than most of the wines in this collection of 2009 bordeaux.

Drink 2015 - 2027

Hold +1 year or carafe for 3 hours.

The rich texture is clear visually with its inky plum colour, and this has plenty of ripe damson and black cherry fruit on the attack. Bitter chocolate and smoked turmeric add opulence, although the tannins remain tight, and this is a little abrupt on the finish. It's less suave than many 2009s right now, although it's clear underlying power. First year with Denis Dubourdieu as a consultant, 50% new oak for ageing. Harvest September 22 to October 13.

Drink 2024 - 2042

The 2009 Giscours has a generous and complex bouquet with well-defined blackberry, cedar, mocha and light ferrous notes, more like a Saint-Julien than Margaux. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, fresh and vibrant with curry leaf and graphite. A dash of white pepper pops up towards the finish. This is a very fine Giscours to enjoy over the next 15 to 20 years.

Drink 2023 - 2040

The finest Giscours in my professional career I said the same thing from barrel), this dense purple wine has a stunning nose of burning embers, charcoal, creme de cassis, new saddle leather and damp, forest floor notes. It is full-bodied, with exceptionally sweet, well-integrated tannins and a multi-dimensional, almost skyscraper-like mid-palate and finish. With its low acidity and remarkable substance and depth, this gorgeous wine should age beautifully for 20-30 years.

Drink 2012 - 2042