Vinous - Score: 88 (2012 January)

(60% cabernet sauvignon, 32% merlot, 5% cabernet franc and 3% petit verdot; 31 g/l dry extract; 12.9% alcohol): Amber-tinged red; quite evolved in appearance. Enticing, perfumed strawberry, kirsch, cinnamon and white pepper aromas soar from the glass. Very broad, sweet and forward in the mouth, with luscious red cherry, plum, cinnamon and marzipan flavors complicated by a strong spicy quality. Finishes moderately long, with tannins that are chewy but not astringent and a lingering exotic floral note. This became oakier with air, with an insinuating vegetal streak emerging. Still, although I have never found the 1990 Giscours to be an outstanding wine, I was impressed by this bottle's combination of sweetness and freshness given its rather evolved color. Ready to drink and unlikely to benefit much from further aging.