Tasted at the Chateau Giscours vertical, the 2004 Chateau Giscours is a blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon and 42% Merlot picked between September 30 and October 16. It has a very pleasant bouquet with ripe blackcurrant, raspberry coulis, mineral and light violet scents that blossom nicely in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin. This is not a complex Giscours, more conservative and a little austere. Yet you have to commend the freshness and the finesse towards the finish, as it delivers delicate tarry notes on the aftertaste. Drinking perfectly now, you could cellar this for the next 10-15 years. Tasted June 2015.

A solid red, with blackberry, plum and light cedar aromas and flavors. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a long, caressing aftertaste. All together here. Best after 2008. 25,000 cases made. -JS

Rich, robust earth, meat, smoke, cedar, mocha and ample oak aroma. Good, zippy, fresh fruit with concentration and a luxurious, velvety style. Big, ripe tannins. Alc: 13%.