▻ Alexander Van Beek of Château Giscours

Great Wine Lives

29 Oct

Written By Sarah Kemp

Sarah Kemp in conversation with Alexander Van Beek of Château Giscours

Episode Summary:-

On September 7th 1995, a 24-year-old Dutchman travelled to Bordeaux for the first time, to pick the harvest at a property owned by a friend of his father. That young man was Alexander Van Beek, and the property was Château Giscours, the classified Margaux estate, which had recently been purchased by Dutch businessman Eric Albada Jelgersma; little did he know when he arrived that he would never leave.

In this episode of “Great Wine Lives” he talks with Sarah Kemp about his life running Giscours for the past 30 years. The road has sometimes been bumpy, he says, and in this frank interview he talks about the highs, the lows, and the changes he has overseen to take Giscours to new heights.

At home he grew up with wine, as his father was a modest wine collector, and they drank wine nearly every day. He took a Master of Finance and Marketing degree, but after a couple of weeks helping with the harvest, Eric Albada Jelgersma persuaded him to stay, as there was considerable instability in the organisation at the estate. He told Alexander, “I need someone I can trust – Giscours is an amazing property, you can always do banking later.” The estate needed some attention; Eric had tasted the 1970 Giscours in London, which he remembered as sublime, and he was determined to restore it to that level of quality.

Alexander recounts how he threw himself into the challenge, to learn all aspects of the estate, the vineyard plots, even vinification, but made sure he was always surrounded by good people. He started with the oenologist Pascal Ribéreau-Gayon, followed by Jean-Paul Gardère, Michel Rolland, Jacques and Eric Boissenot, Denis Dubourdieu, Axel Marchal and Thomas Duclos.

The big difference from when he arrived and now is the immense detail that prevails both in the vineyard and cellar. At Giscours, they now pick a plot according to the age of the vines: “Trying to reach excellence is to be spot-on with the maturity,” he says. The team originally asked if he thought he was in Sauternes, but once they saw the difference in the quality, they were all convinced. Alexander believes this method gives very precise pixel tannins. Sarah also wonders if he felt he had to change the style of Giscours to suit the Robert Parker era. He responds by saying that Parker woke up Bordeaux to work on mature fruit.

One of the lows was when he was charged with chaptalizing the wine. Alexander talks openly about the case, which resulted in 50,000 bottles of Giscours being thrown away. It was a period which made the team stronger, and he discusses the support he had from the Albada Jelgersma family and the industry.

A new challenge came for Alexander when Eric Albada Jelgersma decided to buy an estate, Caiarossa, north of Bolgheri at an altitude of 300 to 500 metres. Alexander oversaw the expansion of the estate from 9ha to 40 ha planted under vines. “With 20 years on the agenda the vines are starting to get beautifully installed”. The varieties grown are Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Merlot and Grenache. The vineyards are bio-dynamic. Would he introduce bio-dynamic farming at Giscours? He reveals that is not on the cards, though they do as much as they can without the certification.

The second wine of Giscours is La Sèrene de Giscours. Alexander explains that it is made up of lots where the personalities just mis-match in the Grand Vin; he suggests it is an invitation to discover the Grand Vin. Another wine from the stable is the Haut-Médoc de Giscours, which Sarah complains she cannot find in the UK. The plots used to be part of Giscours but when the Margaux appellation was established in the 1950s, the wine had to be labelled Haut-Medoc. “It is the wine our employees drink at home,” Alexander reveals.

Sarah asks about another property which Jelgersma bought in 1997, Château du Tertre, a fifth-growth Margaux, which was recently sold. Alexander looks back with affection at the property, which was where his wedding to Véronique Sanders of Château Haut Bailly took place, but revealed that people were always comparing du Tertre with Giscours, and they wanted more focus on Giscours, so a decision was taken to sell it. Will they look at other purchases? Alexander and Eric’s children are looking, but they don’t want a trophy, he says, they are looking for a place with potential where they can make a difference.

Giscours has just won a major tourism award, the Wine Capitals of the World Best of the Best Wine Tourism. The estate receives between 25-30,000 visitors a year, and not just for wine. There are many activities, from walking in the woods, playing cricket, equestrian activities, and a venue for weddings. Alexander is rightly proud of the environment he has created, which he believes brings something magical – togetherness.

Alexander is married to Château Haut-Bailly’s estate director Véronique Sanders, and he talks about how wine brought them together. “She has an amazing sense of detail, so she keeps me sharp,” he laughs. Do they have the same palate? “Not completely,” he replies. Family is extremely important to him and his idea of relaxing is entertaining friends, sharing great moments and great wines. How he would he like to be remembered? He replies it is too early to think about that yet, there is still a lot he wants to do.

Running Order:-

0.00 – 22.34

“Listen, Alexander I need someone I can trust. Giscours is an amazing property, you could always go to banking later.” – Eric Albada Jelgersma

– Learning about wine with his father in the Netherlands.
– First impressions of Bordeaux when he arrived as a temporary picker.
– Decision to stay on at Ch Giscours.
– The main differences in the vineyard and cellar from 1994 to today.
22.35 – 40.51

“Eric always had a passion for Italy.”

– Giscours style and the Parker years.
– The chaptalisation charges.
– Caiarossa and the adventure in Tuscany.
40.52 – 59.05

“She has an amazing sense of detail, so she keeps me very sharp.” – Alexander talking about his wife, Véronique Sanders of Château Haut-Bailly.

– Château du Tertre – why they bought and sold it.
– Winning a major award for tourism.
– Marriage to Véronique Sanders.