Vinous
byAntonio Gallonithe6/18/2020
A gorgeous second wine, 2019 La Sirène de Giscours will give readers a very good idea of the recent developments here. In the glass, the La Sirène is rich, ample and enveloping, the 2019 offers tremendous appeal and tons of sheer sexiness. Black cherry, plum, chocolate, spice and licorice add to an impression of darkness that pairs nicely with the wine's soft contours and overall succulence. My tasting with General Manager Alexander Van Beek and Estate Manager Lorenzo Pasquini was one of the highlights of several weeks of the Zoom calls all of us will remember from this very particular campaign. According to Van Beek and Pasquini, 2019 was one of the longest harvests on record. The Merlot was picked early, to preserve freshness, while the Cabernet needed several additional weeks to achieve full physiological ripeness. Cuvaisons were long, 35 days on average, but pumpovers were stopped earlier in order to avoid overextraction. This new approach, along with the input of super-talented consulting oenologist Thomas Duclos, yielded two superb 2019s that continue Giscours' ascendency in Margaux and Bordeaux.