Luxury Bordeaux Tasting of Iconic Margaux Estate ~ Château Giscours
Saturday October 18, 2025 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Not only are we going to taste luxury wines from Château Giscours in Margaux, we are also going to meet Alexander Van Beek, this great estate's esteemed managing director. Alex first arrived in Bordeaux from the Netherlands at the tender age of 24, after graduating with an MBA in finance, for a two-month harvest experience at Château Giscours. His short visit turned out to be longer than expected, as he has never left! Owner Eric Albada-Jelgersma invited him to stay, and since 1998 he has been in charge of Giscours. Over his 25+ year tenure he has directed Giscours from strength to strength. With his marriage to the talented Véronique Sanders, who runs Château Haut-Bailly in Pessac-Léognan, he has put down even deeper roots in Bordeaux, and become a very important figure in the Bordeaux wine trade.
Château Giscours was named a Third Growth Grand Cru Classé in 1855, before the appellation of Margaux was even officially created. Over the centuries, this historic estate has maintained a reputation for excellence, and during our visit to Giscours in May 2024, we were incredibly impressed by every aspect of production from vineyard management with organic viticulture; their commitment to biodiversity and 'gentle' winemaking practices (such as using very low amounts of sulfites, and only in the final blending to simply stabilize the wine); sustainable actions such as vegetable gardens and livestock on their farm; maintenance of a huge park, forest and meadow.... the good deeds being done here go on and on! Giscours even provides housing on the property for all of their employees. This place is magical, and so are the wines. We cannot wait to share them with you at this incredibly special event!!!
During our visit to Giscours, we were struck by how all the wines at this estate have a style which is 'very Giscours', meaning: full of flavor and complexity, silky, refined and balanced, fresh and aromatic, dense yet elegant, very precise in its expression of 'Margaux', and finally, remarkably approachable in youth, yet capable of aging for years or even decades, depending on the vintage.
Once we get closer to the event, we will be choosing the wines to taste. We know we will choose a younger wine, perhaps the Haut Médoc Giscours or the Sirène de Giscours, along with an older vintage of the grand vin. Stay tuned for more information on the tasting line-up!
We also will share with you a singular wine crafted by this talented team in Tuscany : a Super Tuscan named Caiarossa. Caiarossa was created in 1998 on the rolling hillsides of Riparbella at Podere Serra All’Olio, a 100 hectare estate, part of an area owned for centuries by the De Medici family, and is now owned by the Albada-Jelgersma family. Wine has been produced in Tuscany for millennia, but from its creation Caiarossa decided to be different, following organic and biodynamic principles in partnership with the highest levels of professional winemaking to ensure the truest possible expression of character and vitality of this extraordinarily diverse and vibrant terroir.