2009 Giscours, Margaux

At ten years of age this wine still displays a dense hue, lightly hazy and concentrated in the glass, with a touch of degradation to the cherry red rim. The nose is brimming with confidence, smoky with blackcurrant skins, juniper berry and bay leaf, along with notes of smouldering charcoal. There are also some fresher notes too, celery seed and celeriac leaf, interwoven with the dark fruit. Texturally full and confident on the palate, with a velvety yet also sinewy and savoury substance through the middle, run through with ripe and tightly grained tannins, peppery and slightly warm, with a long and confident finish. An excellent showing, so present and energetic, and with such length. As with previous notes, there are some methoxypyrazine threads here which some may find dissuasive, but I think it all works really well together, while maintaining a distinctive and slightly idiosyncratic style.