We put the #1 wine of 2025 to the test.

A beginner, an intermediate, and an expert wine drinker each tasted the 2022 Château Giscours Bordeaux. Here are their raw, unfiltered thoughts.

A man with no facial features, wearing a cap and black shirt, resting his head on his hand, looking frustrated. He is sitting at a table with a bottle of red wine and a wine glass filled with red wine. There is a speech bubble with a quote about wine drinking experiences, and a thermometer icon indicating temperature. The background includes decorative pink and black elements, a sketched crown, and a vineyard landscape. The quote humorously discusses the importance of wine temperature over temperature control.
A man with no facial features, wearing a cap and black shirt, resting his head on his hand, looking frustrated. He is sitting at a table with a bottle of red wine and a wine glass filled with red wine. There is a speech bubble with a quote about wine drinking experiences, and a thermometer icon indicating temperature. The background includes decorative pink and black elements, a sketched crown, and a vineyard landscape. The quote humorously discusses the importance of wine temperature over temperature control.

Our Beginner wine drinker- Lara. All Lara really knows about wine is that it’s wet, but she does know what she likes, and she can make one hell of a cheese board.

Our Intermediate wine drinker- Michael. Michael loves trying new wines and going to wine bars and restaurants and is pretty knowledgeable about the specifics that he likes.

Our Expert wine drinker- Dev. An actual sommelier/wine expert by title.

1:42PM

1ST TASTE – IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE WINE IS OPENED

Intermediate Michael: So how do they determine the #1 wine, is it based on sales?

Expert Dev: They base it on quality out the glass right now, plus they base it on longevity, how long it can age. They break it down, its structure, its acidity, it’s fruit, it’s balance, and it’s tannins. So there's all these different things, and they determine that this was probably the most delicious wine now, but also had the potential to be one of the best wines in 10 years, etc.

Beginner Lara: I gotta get my Pepcid ready for my heartburn.

Expert Dev: Look at that color.

Beginner Lara: It’s very deep.

Expert Dev: It is. It’s got that deep purple color, and that light rim.

Intermediate Michael: It smells a little muted, you know what I'm saying? Like usually something like this is jumping out the glass.

Expert Dev: Damn, you know what you’re talking about. Spot on. Because it's 2022, it's young, and we just opened it. So it is gonna be muted for sure.

Intermediate Michael: Got it.

Beginner Lara: I smell poultry.

Expert Dev: Poultry! So like, chicken? Does it smell gamey?

Intermediate Michael: When I think poultry, I’m thinking like yesterday, I was putting away raw chicken!

Expert Dev: You might be smelling that young, raw, fruit, and maybe the chilled temperature in the glass is giving you that poultry vibe.

Beginner Lara: Maybe!

Expert Dev: All right, I'm about to drink. (tastes) The fruit is very muted Mike, that was a good one.

Beginner Lara:(tastes) Okay.

Expert Dev: That temperature is perfect.

Intermediate Michael: I was gonna say, like, I like this.

Expert Dev: So that's very easy drinking. It's really good. I think, honestly, I probably would prefer a little bit more fruit at this stage. We just opened it, but I think maybe in a little while after it breathes, maybe that fruit will be a little bit more lush. Right now, it's still tight, it's still kind of like I just got out the bottle type shit.

Beginner Lara: It’s very dry.

Expert Dev: It’s very dry, it’s Bordeaux, it’s Margaux.

Intermediate Michael: It’s like very tannin heavy I guess. It's so dry.

Intermediate Michael: But, off the bat, I'm like, this is good, it's very good. I can’t wait for it to open.

Beginner Lara: I feel like if it weren't chilled, I wouldn't be able to drink it. It would taste too full-bodied for me, like too full and too, just like intense for me if it wasn’t chilled.

Intermediate Michael: I could see that, because when I first started drinking wine, especially like if I go to a restaurant right now and I order wine, and this shit is not the right temperature, I'm like ugh. Especially if it's above temperature—yeah, feels too intense. I can see why you say that.

Expert Dev: Warm Bordeaux is not my jam. I need it to be a little bit chill, because these wines are so dry, and a lot of the soil plays a big factor in Margaux and areas called Graves and Pessac-Leognan and a lot of Left Bank Bordeaux. Literally the wines taste a little gravelly, and because it's so dry and it's gravelly, it's just typically like not always my favorite. So I'm interested to see what it tastes like after some time in the decanter.

Illustration of a man with a faceless head, wearing a cap, gold chain, and black T-shirt, sitting at a table with a bottle of red wine, a glass of wine, four wine glasses, and a decanter. A speech bubble contains a quote about wine and dining, signed by a "Dev, expert wine drinker." Decorative elements include a purple crown, a wine cork, and a landscape of vineyards and a church.
Illustration of a man with a faceless head, wearing a cap, gold chain, and black T-shirt, sitting at a table with a bottle of red wine, a glass of wine, four wine glasses, and a decanter. A speech bubble contains a quote about wine and dining, signed by a "Dev, expert wine drinker." Decorative elements include a purple crown, a wine cork, and a landscape of vineyards and a church.

3:12PM

2ND TASTE – 1 HR 30 MINUTES AFTER THE WINE IS OPENED

Beginner Lara: Ooh it smells different! It smells more fruity right now.

Intermediate Michael: Oh, yea, the fruit smell is jumping out. Definitely smells different.

Beginner Lara: I get more floral berries.

Intermediate Michael: Definitely more aromatic, definitely.

Expert Dev: It’s opened up.

Intermediate Michael: Yeah, this is like smelling some flowers, for real.

Beginner Lara: It is.

Expert Dev: (tastes) Ok! It’s rounded out. The tannins ain't as hard, they’re a little softer.

Beginner Lara: It's so much smoother.

Intermediate Michael: Oh shit.

Expert Dev: Do y'all get that kind of like, purity, though? It's a very light wine.

Intermediate Michael: It’s extremely light. Like I feel like almost “Pinot” light, but not as light.

Beginner Lara: It’s super light, yea.

Expert Dev: I’m gonna guess the alcohol, this doesn’t taste like it has a lot of alcohol in it. It’s very light, maybe no more than 14% alcohol.

Beginner Lara: It tastes a lot lighter now than it did when we first opened it, for sure. And a lot less dry. I feel like this is more manageable for me.

Intermediate Michael: That definitely brought it down a little bit. It's not as intense.

Expert Dev: Wow! It’s only 13.5% alcohol. That's very low. So do y’all feel that it’s more enjoyable now than it was?

Michael & Lara, in unison: 100%.

Beginner Lara: It was rough getting through the first glass for me.

Intermediate Michael: But this is what makes me love red wine, like when it really changes up, and it almost feels like you're drinking grape juice, like it's so good.

Beginner Lara: That's really unfortunate, because if you go to a restaurant and you choose this wine, when they first open it, you get those super crazy intense flavors, but if you aerate it, you get a different experience later.

Expert Dev: You go to a restaurant, and like, sometimes you don't get the time to aerate it properly, because your steak is on the way, you know what I’m saying? You want to drink because you just got to dinner, but yeah, this needs time.

Intermediate Michael: Why don't more restaurants use aerators when they pour?

Expert Dev: Some restaurants will, but some won’t decant or aerate. As sommeliers, we used to pop that thing open, pour into a filter, and pour into a decanter. You can ask them to decant for you or aerate it and they will. But a standard place? I don't know how many people would even care to ask to be honest. But if you're buying like a $200 bottle wine, you should have it decanted if it needs it.

Illustration of a woman with long dark hair, holding a glass of red wine, and the quote "I literally feel like I drank three different wines today" by Lara, a beginner wine drinker. The background includes wine bottles, a cork, a sketch of a vineyard, a small drawing of a crown, a grapevine, and a cityscape.
Illustration of a woman with long dark hair, holding a glass of red wine, and the quote "I literally feel like I drank three different wines today" by Lara, a beginner wine drinker. The background includes wine bottles, a cork, a sketch of a vineyard, a small drawing of a crown, a grapevine, and a cityscape.

4:42 PM

3rd TASTE – 3 HOURS AFTER THE WINE IS OPENED

Beginner Lara: Oh, it smells more floral now. And oh! It tastes different. It tastes like Sangria.

Expert Dev: (tastes) Ohhhh, that’s what I’m talking bout. That’s what I’m talking bout.

Intermediate Michael: Now it hit the sweet spot. This is good.

Expert Dev: That fruit is fruitier, that's why you said it tastes like Sangria. The fruit is more enjoyable, it's sweeter, yeah. You taste those tannins more.

Intermediate Michael: They’re not as harsh.

Beginner Lara: Yes!

Expert Dev: I felt the tannins were soft the 2nd time around.

Beginner Lara: I was gonna say that, I was gonna say it felt like it tasted lighter the second time, but this time I feel like it tastes more full-bodied, but smoother.

Intermediate Michael: It's more fruit forward. Yeah, definitely more fruit forward.

Expert Dev: The tannins now seem a little more present. Tannins are a natural preservative, so that makes wine last for a long time. So that's when they rate these wines, and they're like, this is the #17 wine vs this is the #1 wine, one thing they’re looking for is that balance of fruit and tennis, because tannins help this thing last.

Beginner Lara: When I first drank it, on a scale of 1 to 10 for dryness, I thought it was a 10. Now I feel like it's a 3. I can drink this now.

Expert Dev: Yea this is kinda delicious now. It just needed some damn time!

Intermediate Michael: And it’s no longer a Pinot to me!

Expert Dev: It went to the gym and got buff!

Beginner Lara: This version is my favorite.

Expert Dev: Me too.

Intermediate Michael: That's crazy. From the second tasting to this one, wow.

Beginner Lara: I don't like red wines, but I would drink this at this level, at this phase. I don’t think I would’ve appreciated it without the step-by-step experience. I literally feel like I drank three different wines today.

Intermediate Michael: This is why I drink red wine, because of this.

TL