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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 92.3 pts. and median of 93 pts. in 354 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Philip67 on 5/2/2024 & rated 95 points: Gorgeous open palate, allowing full enjoyment of the wine's many charms. Still plenty of red fruit, with hints of tar behind, along with hedgerow and sweet spices. There are also mushroom notes, along with black olive paste, leather and quite prominent oak notes. Long and complex. It is time to drink this. Right now it is a complete wine but I suspect it will go down hill from here. (369 views) | | | Tasted by djhammond on 4/7/2024 & rated 95 points: The last of 3 bottles, and it was the best of the lot. Fully mature with secondary and tertiary characteristics, the wine only needs 30 minutes in the decanter, to blow off any funk. Aromas of cherry and tobacco, are prominent on the nose, with hints of menthol. The tannin is fully integrated and the palate is silky smooth, with the finish the only barrier to a higher rating. It is a a little unbalanced and on the shorter side. I am starting to warm towards left bank Bordeaux's, which are consistently approachable and a relatively decent price (500 views) | | | Tasted by Philip_Bundpropperne on 1/26/2024 & rated 93 points: Rating: 4,3/5,0. (905 views) | | | Tasted by Roland67 on 12/31/2023 & rated 95 points: Given the age, this was surprisingly fresh and fully alive. Stand A in the bottle, but cork 85-90% soaked, so maybe good that it was opened today. In the nose a lot of forest soil notes, forest moss, and pine. On the pale a soft texture and surprisingly fresh minerality. Very, very enjoyable. It stayed alive in the glass for hours throughout the evening. Enjoyed along with a 1999 Cheval Blanc and yet both where great wines, the Estournel took the price. P95+ (1056 views) | | | Tasted by klatner@stillcloud.ch on 12/23/2023: Yes 👍🏻 (1090 views) | | | Tasted by Snowey on 11/18/2023: Josh (who we met at burgundy fest) brought this over to the wine industry dinner. I felt like this developed the mevushal pruniness flavors more than the light weight complex acid flavors Bordeaux sometimes develops into.
Very interesting wine that was enjoyable and everyone else loved it.
Privilege to have had a 38 year old wine! (1196 views) | | | Tasted by macmac007 on 11/18/2023 & rated 94 points: A groovy Danish record biz guy brought a bottle of this to dinner. What a treat. No decant required. Took about half an hour to open in the glass and then lift-off.
When a wine is this old and well-stored, all the elements become integrated and bedded down. No rough edges. Just silky, unctuous fully mature texture and flavor. This wasn't a powerhouse year, so more feline and enigmatic than other star name Bordeaux Cabs, but Cos makes it that way too by design: the ~30% Merlot softens the red brick Cab core without giving up the long-term complexity.
The signature element of Cos for me, possibly its unique characteristic, are the echoes of far east spicebox, the hints of cinnamon, cedar, mint leaf... Deliciously hard to pin down as you chase the flavors round your mouth before it ends with a backwash of classic Bordeaux earthiness.
Here's the offical Cos website waxing lyrical on this exotic quality: "Little by little, it evokes stories of distant places, market stalls brimming with unfamiliar fruits, spices and wares, village festivities warmed by the joy of revelers and the setting sun, and sumptuous visions of ladies and their voluptuous curves."
Mille et une nuits (Arabe) in a glass! (1092 views) | | | Tasted by luHar1423 on 11/14/2023 & rated 96 points: The 1985 vintage is the winner of the 5-step Cos d'Estournel vertical non-blind tasting. Mouthwatering dark berry notes on the nose as well as palate held over 2h - very long and intense finish. Tannins and acidity are well integrated but not dominant at all - very smooth and enjoyable. Reminded me rather of a big Pauillac than a St. Estephe. Fantastic. Don't spoil your palate with any food or side disturbances - enjoy it straight in a perfect wine glass.
Best of all: it still has enough power to survive a mere five years plus in your cellar: hats off to all the owners.
Double-decanting 3h before - slightly overpriced imho ($350+ vs. 1989 Pichon Baron for instance). (969 views) | | | Tasted by Isaac L on 10/20/2023 & rated 93 points: Bordeaux 1985 Grand Tour; 5/5/2017-10/20/2023: Prominent nose with earthy/woody notes. Cassis, cherries, dried plums, cedar, camphor, menthol and herbs. Medium to full bodied with good concentration. Softly textured. Tannins were still present but well integrated. Cork was protruding by a couple of mm and crumbled upon extraction but no issues with the wine otherwise. In a very good place at the moment and will hold for a couple of years but unlikely to improve further. (941 views) | | | Tasted by Vinnut on 9/29/2023 & rated 94 points: Medium-dark garnet in color with slight clearing at the edges. Full, forward & attractive nose of ripe fruit aromas of dark cherries, blackberries, & cassis with classic overtones of cigar box notes of cedar & tobacco, leather, floral notes of violets, herbs, mushrooms, minerals & earthy/dusty notes. Medium-full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & silky smooth textured, ripe fruit flavors of dark cherries, blackberries & blueberries with herbs, mushrooms, minerals & a slight hint of oak. Lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present with decanting & airing. At 38 years of age, I doubt any substantial development would occur from additional aging. Fill was at lower neck; cork was saturated midpoint but intact. An outstanding Cos. (977 views) | | | Tasted by forceberry on 9/10/2023 & rated 96 points: A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (60%) and Merlot (40%). 12,5% alcohol.
Dark, somewhat translucent and moderately evolved cherry-red color with a subtle brownish-maroon hue. The nose feels dry, nuanced and very classically styled with attractive aromas of tobacco and evolved meaty tones, some wizened blackcurrants, light leafy notes, a little bit of salty liquorice powder, woody hints of cigar box and pencil shavings, a touch of licorice root and a whiff of old leather. The wine feels dry, silky and resolved on the palate with a medium body and fine-tuned, not particularly intense nor dilute flavors of ripe blackcurrants and wizened dark forest fruits, some tobacco, light woody notes of pencil shavings and cedar, a little bit of leafy Cab character, a hint of cooked bell pepper and a touch of sous-bois. The wine is high in acidity with fine, supple and fully resolved medium-minus tannins. The finish is long, dry and gently grippy with a harmonious, complex aftertaste of ripe blackcurrants and sweet dried fruits, some tobacco, a little bit of cooked bell pepper, light leafy tones, a hint of exotic spices and a touch of old leather.
A beautiful, fine-tuned and so harmonious vintage of Cos that is still sitting firmly on its plateau of maturity. The structure is so resolved at this point that the wine doesn't call for any additional aging, but as the wine doesn't show any signs of decline, I'm quite positive that the wine continues to keep just fine for years more. In our Cos vertical it was nigh impossible for me to pick my favorite of the evening - this wine was maybe a tad more complex than the 1986, which instead was slightly more intense and structured. The 1996 was a banger, too. Fantastic stuff, in any case. (642 views) | | | Tasted by paulst on 7/3/2023 & rated 95 points: Cedar and earth with blackberry; long complex finish. (1390 views) | | | Tasted by Matt T on 5/28/2023 & rated 93 points: Evidence of leakage and possible heat damage, but a nice dark color. Very reticent for the first half hour and then this started to unfold with burly tannins, tobacco, and dark fruit (in that order). Tannins seemed to integrate on day two and this presented as a bit smoother, but the fruit also receded a note. Overall, this is very big and very structured. This may last another 10-15 years, but seems unlikely to improve. (1318 views) | | | Tasted by funderwood10 on 5/25/2023 & rated 87 points: Still got strong tannins and got quite strong primary notes for a close to 40 yr old. Finish is pretty short though and unfortunately the tannins leave a bit of a harsh finish. I’m afraid this wine is quite on the decline. Perhaps in 5 yrs the tannins might melt away further and be more rounded but I just don’t see much potential left here. (1326 views) | | | Tasted by djhammond on 5/21/2023 & rated 93 points: Second of three bottles, this was not quite matching the previous one, but some variation is to be expected with older wines. Cherry and tobacco are aromatic on the nose with additional menthol notes. Secondary characteristics have developed on the palate with tertiary hints. Showing good depth and balance, this bottle was showing harsher tannic notes as previously. That said, it is highly recommended, and relatively good value for money. (1359 views) | | | Tasted by Charlie Carnes on 5/14/2023 & rated 95 points: Question: Does a wine need 100 points to be perfect? Emphatically: no! This wine was such a terrific wine to drink with my family tonight. When I first opened this baby, it was a little crusty, grumpy, so I let it breathe in the decanter for about an hour. Wow, did this wine just go from solid to gas!! It had that 1985 loveliness combined with a little rusticity… I mean there was iron, and rustic mineral, combined with dark black and darkest red cherry, an absolute throwback. Enhancing the dark fruit and mineral, green and ripe tobacco leaf, perceptions of loamy earth, soil, and red clay, river gravel, maybe a hint of navel orange, and even a little bit of a floral component at the end. The wine was just so not too big, not too ripe, and this combined so nicely with elegance/rusticity combination, that made a gorgeous, perfect wine begging for food and great family time! I love 1985… (1129 views) | | | Tasted by BernieMSY on 5/6/2023 & rated 95 points: The cork was in remarkably good shape when pulled.
Extremely dark garnet color with some bricking at the edges. Earthy nose, full of loam and mushroom.
Popped, poured and sampled over a few hours. Upon opening: Richly deep flavor profile. Concentrated hard candy and dried currant up front, with savory notes of tobacco and leather on the mid-palate. Great mouthfeel, smoothly silky with very soft tannins remaining.
Three hours later: it’s all savory notes at this point, spice box and cedar, with a slightly overripe raisinated tone. Actually quite delicious.
Another hour later: it becoming more concentrated and complex. Lots of extraction, and the finish goes on forever.
I suppose it all depends on what you’re looking for. If you’re looking for lush fruity tones, then this one is over the hill from your point of view. On the other hand, if you’re looking for racy, spicy, savory notes, this one is in a sweet spot. For me, it may be a few years past its prime, but it’s been really fun to follow its maturational trajectory. I’ve got another bottle or two stashed away somewhere. I’ll report back in a few years. (875 views) | | | Tasted by vindictive on 4/11/2023: Perhaps due to colder storage, this bottle seemed much younger than prior bottles. It needed several hours in the decanter before opening up and even then was not ready. Classic St. Estephe wine, very structured and good with lamb. (1002 views) | | | Tasted by jlgnml on 2/23/2023 & rated 97 points: Incredible nose the punctuated the air upon opening, mushrooms, earthy, all the qualities of a great Bordeaux and a great btl. Drink to enjoy or hold for its 40th anniversary. (1452 views) | | | Tasted by Papies on 2/14/2023 & rated 90 points: The Inaugural Paris Wine Event (Papies at Passy, Paris): Opened and left to rest . Chose not to decant as wine had a fragility to it.
This is the fifth time we try this in the last decade or so ( Papies 92-94) and frankly the wine was below expectations albeit we felt this is more a specific bottle issue than the wine it self. So a bit flat, lacking a sparkle that 1985 usually has, lacking energy in a way and the fruit was on the muted to dull side. That being said the wine was healthy and no TCA was detected and had a solid cork and in neck level. Enjoyable ? Yes but lacking the magic that other 1985s have at this stage. 90 on this occasion and maybe better one tries these sooner than later. (1544 views) | | | Tasted by Vinumming & Ahhing on 2/2/2023 & rated 93 points: 1985 Bordeaux Horizontal - London (Noizé, London): This is the most youthful of the wines we've tried tonight. The nose has a lovely brandy snap character that complements a core of cool dark fruits, the gingerbread and the dark chocolate. This also feels very together and a little aloof as its rival Montrose can also be. Had the palate delivered on the promise of the nose I would have scored more highly but the palate is tight and doesn't give much away at this stage. Needs another 5 year at least to my mind. Great promise, mind. (1562 views) | | | Tasted by Tao on 1/16/2023 & rated 92 points: Earthy nose of leathery black fruits along with a hint of peppermint, a touch of spice! Refreshing palate of again, leathery fruits, a hint of smokiness, graphite, and meaty texture! It is, in my opinion, to pair it with lamb or duck dishes, with friends of course! Dark in colour and certainly with a few more years to go at the very least! (1397 views) | | | Tasted by djhammond on 12/12/2022 & rated 94 points: I am beginning to convert to 1985 as a vintage, which unfortunately is overshadowed by being sandwiched between 2 of Bordeaux's most legendary years, and this did not disappoint. Fully mature, this however still needs 3 hours in the decanter to fully blossom. The nose is rich with cherry and tobacco with faint wafts of menthol. The palate is earthy but with the cherry prominent and is perfectly balanced. The finish is excellent and pushes past 30 seconds and displays surprising tannic grip. This is showing secondary and tertiary notes and there is no reason for not enjoying this now as it has hit its drinking plateau. (1777 views) | | | Tasted by ElAzul on 11/20/2022 & rated 96 points: The cork slid into the bottle but the wine was still excellent. This is elegance personified and my favorite Cos , even more than the 90. Loamy and earthy nose tinged with tobacco gives way to a still remarkably silky and elegant mouth feel yet backed by a nice acid backbone. Dark fruit predominates but a teasing raspberry note appeared after four hours opened and decanted. The sweet fruit finish is subtle but lasts 30 seconds. Love this wine. I bought it in the mid 90s from a wine store going out of business so the providence before I stored it in my cellar is unknown. (1427 views) | | | Tasted by paulst on 10/26/2022 & rated 95 points: Youthful; robust sweet blackberry; concentrated; coarse; sweet tannic fruity finish. (1761 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Neal Martin
Vinous, Fairest of Them All: Cos d’Estournel 1928 – 2015 (Oct 2018) (10/1/2018)
(Cos D'estournel Cos D'estournel Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By John Gilman
View From the Cellar, Sep/Oct 2014, Issue #53, 1985 Claret The Finest Bordeaux Vintage of the 1980s
(Château Cos d’Estournel) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (4/6/2013)
(Château Cos d'Estournel) Bricking dark red violet color; appealing, sweet tobacco, salty plum, dried currant nose; tasty, mature, dried currant, tart plum, tobacco, anise palate with firm, sweet tannins; has decades more to go; medium-plus finish 94+ points 94 points | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (6/24/2010)
(Château Cos d'Estournel) Group's #3 (my #2) – 31 pts.; 0, 2, 3, 0 - bricked dark red violet color; very mature, weedy, tobacco, roast coffee nose; mature, tart black fruit, charcoal, tangy, bell pepper palate; medium-plus finish (overly mature bottle; weakest showing ever of this wine for me, which I've had many times and usually score around 94 points) 88 points | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (8/7/2009)
(Château Cos d'Estournel) Bricking dark red violet color with pale meniscus; mature, truffle, black fruit and beef jus nose; tasty, beef jus, mature black fruit and truffle nose; medium-plus finish 94 points | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (10/7/2008)
(Château Cos d'Estournel) Dark red violet color; plush, plum, black fruit nose with depth; tasty, tart black fruit, plum and mineral palate; long finish 94 points | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (7/25/2008)
(Château Cos d'Estournel) Group's #1 (my #3) – 12 pts; 4 1st place votes, zero 2nd place votes, 1 third, 0 last places – Bricking dark red violet color with pale meniscus; complex tobacco nose; dense palate of tobacco, tart cassis, tart plum and fig; long finish 93+ pts. 93 points | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (1/13/2008)
(Château Cos d'Estournel) Bricking dark garnet red color; mature mushroom and shitake mushroom nose; tasty, black fruit, tangy, mint palate; medium-plus finish 91 points | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (10/20/2007)
(Château Cos d'Estournel) Red violet color with clear meniscus; cassis and earthy nose; tasty, tart cassis and red fruit palate, open, with a deep vein of fruit; medium finish 94+ pts. 94 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and View From the Cellar and RJonWine.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Château Cos d'Estournel Producer website – Read more about Chateau Cos d’EstournelRed Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comBordeaux Bordeaux Wine Guide
Vins Bordeaux (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux)
History of Bordeaux
History of 1855 Bordeaux Classification
"2009 is all about ripeness, with wines impressively packed with ripe fruit and high alcohol levels. They are showy, in-your-face, and full of pleasure. The 2010s have the fruit and alcohol levels of the 2009s, but with a compelling freshness on the finish that balances the fruit and provides a perfect sense of structure." - Ben Nelson
"2016 is a landmark vintage in certain spots of Bordeaux and it should be remembered as one of the most inspired campaigns of the last 40-50+ years." -Jon Rimmerman
"The quality of red Bordeaux in 2016 was universally lauded – although the response to the en primeur campaign was muted. Quantity was high too, with the equivalent of 770 million bottles of wine produced. An exceptionally dry summer with cool nights eventually, thanks to mid September rain, resulted in small, thick-skinned, ripe grapes, and the wines are marked by high tannin and acidity, with superb aromatic fragrance." - Jancis Robinson
"2017 was complicated, but there are some excellent wines. Expect plenty of freshness and drinkability from wines that will offer excellent value, and others that will rival 2016 in terms of ripeness and ageability. But they are likely to be the exception not the rule, making careful selection key." - Jane Anson
"In the past, a vintage such as 2022 may have been overripe, raisined and low in acidity but 2022 had a sneaky little reservoir in its back pocket - a near perfect marriage of cool/cold/rain the previous winter and the previous vintage that literally soaked the soils (a key to why 2022 is not 2003...or 1893)." - Jon RimmermanMédoc Vins du Médoc (Conseil des Vins du Médoc) - Read More about the Medoc
VdB
The eight precisely defined appellations of the whole of the Médoc (from Blanquefort Brook to the north of the Bordeaux built-up area, almost to the Pointe de Grave) may claim the Médoc appellation. But there is also a specific territory in the north of the peninsula which produces exclusively wines with this appellation. In the great majority, the Médocs come from the north of the peninsula. The great individuality of this region is that the number of vines has increased more recently here than elsewhere, apart from a few isolated spots where vines have grown for many years. Today, the size of the small estate has brought about the development of a powerful co-operative movement. Four co-operatives out of five belong to the group called Unimédoc which ensures aging, bottling and marketing a large proportion of their wines.St. Estèphe Read more about St. Estephe and its wines Whereas the first activity recorded in Saint-Estèphe goes back as far as the Middle Bronze Age, the first vines date from the Roman Occupation. But it was the Bordeaux merchants who by aging and selling Saint-Estèphe wines themselves were largely responsible for this appellation's fame. And in the nineteenth century, noted for its prosperity, the great estates of today were created. The movement continues today with the merging of small estates.
A land of great wines, Saint-Estèphe is situated almost in the centre of the Médoc, close to the Gironde Estuary. The appellation is equidistant from Bordeaux and the Pointe de Grave.
The beds of soil are characterized by their remarkable diversity, the result of their undulating relief and excellent drainage. Quartz and well-rounded pebbles mingled with light, sandy surface soil are found everywhere, giving the wines a distinctive finesse. And the subsoil is made up of the famous Saint-Estèphe limestone, which outcrops on the west of the commune.
Tasting
Thanks to ideal conditions of climate and geology, Saint-Estèphe wines are characterized by their sturdy qualities and robust constitution. Accordingly, they can be laid down for a very long time while yet preserving their youth and freshness. Distinguished by a subsoil which is more clayey than that in the other communal appellations which lie by the river, the wine here attains a distinctive individuality : a very rich tannic structure, a fine deep red colour and an exceptional backbone with aromas of great finesse.
Production conditions (Decree dated September 11, 1936):
In order to have the right to the Saint-Estèphe appellation of controlled origin, red wines must:
- come from the communes of Saint-Estèphe, "excluding any parcels in that area which are situated on recent alluvium and sand on impermeable subsoils",
- satisfy precise production conditions : grape-varieties (Cabernet-Sauvignon, Cabernet-Franc, Carmenère, Merlot Noir, Petit Verdot, Cot or Malbec), minimum of sugar (178 grammes - 6.27 oz. - per litre of must) degree (an acquired 10°5) base yield (45 hectolitres per hectare). |
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