Chateau Giscours 2003 1500ml

95 POINTS

Huon Hooke - The Real Review

A lovely mature Bordeaux of great complexity and character, all its elements in harmony, the tannins softened and the overall wine nicely mellowed. There is real intensity here, and at 18 years young it's far from starting to fade. It's in a great place to drink right now.

93 POINTS

James Suckling

This is full and powerful, with loads of fruit and a tropical undertone of berries and mango. Loads of tannins in this big wine, but still very fresh. This needs more time than the 2000. Give it five years. Pull the cork in 2015.

91 POINTS

Wine Spectator

Aromas of blackberry, black olives and licorice. Medium- to full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a fruity finish. Refined and nicely done. Best after 2010.

90 POINTS

Roger Voss - Wine Enthusiast

In normal vintages it's velvety and rich, but Giscours seems to have gone over the top in 2003. The fruit is certainly there, generally fresh, but there is an underlying sense of over-ripeness, which needs to be better integrated: Hopefully this will happen as time goes on. For the moment, it's a question mark. Imported by Diageo Chateau & Estates.

90 POINTS

James Lawther MW - Decanter

The wine has held up well and is clearly one of the better examples from this hot, dry vintage. There's some brick at the rim and the nose is a little flat with just a hint of dark pastille fruit and licorice . There's a sweetness to the palate and the tannins are a little chunky and drying but there's still obvious fruit and that innate freshness to balance the obvious warmth of the year.

Robert Parker - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

This opulent 2003 possesses loads of herbaceously-tinged black currant and black cherry fruit intertwined with hints of road tar and barbecue smoke, a medium- to full-bodied texture, and reasonable freshness. This still intact 2003 can be drunk over the next 3-4 years.