*Wine Spectator #1 Wine of 2025: 

95 Points Wine Spectator: "Warmed cassis and plum notes form the core, while lilting lilac, violet and iris accents stream throughout. Offers a flash of black tea on the finish, along with a beguiling, cashmere-like mouthfeel. Judicious toast lets it all play out beautifully. A pitch-perfect example of the vintage profile. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2026 through 2040.—James Molesworth"



98 Points James Suckling: "Stunning aromas of blackcurrants, dark mushrooms and black cherries with forest-floor notes. Full body that fills your mouth with fine, caressing tannins and dark, flavorful fruit. The tannins are very intense and structural, spreading across the palate in layers and giving intensity and energy. Plenty of energy and verve here. This has gravity, too."

When it comes to Bordeaux, things aren’t easy these days. Recent vintages have been mercurial in quality, while the region’s annual spring en primeur campaigns have fizzled. Tariffs haven’t helped. But if you needed a reminder that Bordeaux still makes some of the greatest wines in the world—and that its producers can evolve with changing times—the Château Giscours Margaux 2022 is your wine. This third-growth classified estate earns our top honor this year.

The route to fashioning this benchmark ’22 bottling has been long and winding. Flashback to 1995, when Dutch businessman Eric Albada Jelgersma purchased a controlling stake in Giscours from Nicolas Tari for $31 million. Soon thereafter, Jelgersma encountered his first hurdle: accusations from French anti-fraud authorities who claimed that the estate had engaged in illicit winemaking in the ’95 vintage, including the addition of wine from the less-prestigious Haut-Médoc appellation into its grand vin and the use of oak chips for flavor. By all accounts, Jelgersma had been unaware of what Giscours’ technical team was up to. He quickly offered to buy back the affected bottles and replaced those responsible for adulterating the wine.