2011 Château Cos d'Estournel

Community Tasting Notes

Community Tasting Notes (13) Avg Score: 90.6 points

  • Very solid although did not overwhelm me. Lots of dark fruit, some leather and tobacco. Medium tannins. Lacked a little in length and complexity

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  • Bordeaux 2011 - 10 Years On - 30 Reds: All tasted blind, not decanted. A few observations: 1) As expected, it's a mediocre vintage with many wines lacking depth and mid palate weight of great vintages. My average score for the reds was 91.3 pts vs group scores at more recent horizontals for 2010 (93.0), 2000 (92.7) and 2009 (93.9). 2) I expected more green/unripe notes and drying tannins but that is not the case (hence the solid 91.3 average). Most wines showed well-made (with only 6 out of 30 reds rated below 90 pts). 3) Left bank (average 91.8 pts) clearly trumps right bank (90.6) thanks to more mid palate substance. 4) Virtually no wine showed a) over extracted and already dying and b) with far too much ripeness. Both 2009/2010 (and 2015/2018) have several wines with these problem. 5) Most wines are in a good drinking window. Although not yet with tertiary complexity, the structure has softened and the wines are open (even without extended decanting). 6) Unfortunately (due to price), the best reds were Le Pin (97+ pts), Margaux (96), Petrus (96) and Mouton (95). 7) Good vintage for Sauternes it seems (we tasted only two) with a surprising Giraud (96 pts) beating a too sweet Yquem (93).

    TN: This wine has an expressive nose with smoke, herbs, crushed rocks, ash and very ripe dark fruit. A bit of weird smell too but not overbearing. On the palate this is also quite singular, superb fresh but with very ripe red currant with cassis liquor. Like the Giscours, this is special but not superb. Rather 89-90 because it has no obvious fault but still not too my liking. After revealing they said that the wine is lactic, which is true.

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  • PnP. Forwarded nose with fruit, Asian spice, soy sauce. The palate is surprisingly smooth and tannin well integrated given the young age. It showed some complexity but I bet it would perform better with proper decanting. Early drinking now and I am keen to try in 5 years

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  • 2021 Bordeaux Tasting Trip; 7/12/2021-7/16/2021 (Bordeaux): A tasting in Bordeaux of 71 wines, some of the best I have ever had and others, umm, well were disappointing. If you read the Tasting story (and my grading history) I think it will do a much better job putting this in perspective.

    I was very much looking forward to my St Estephe tastings, with super high expectations for Cos. While unfair to discount St Estephe based on Cos and Calon Segur tastings, it has certainly made it take a back seat and won’t search it out until I get to taste a great vintage from one of the estates, from my inventory or elsewhere (finally I saved money by not having to double up previous orders after the fact).

    Tasted at the chateau
    2011 Cos gran vin
    2008 Cos gran vin
    2011 pagados
    2017 Cos Blanc

    I wish they were willing to open other vintages as I left more confused than before I arrived. If it wasn’t for the 2010 Pagados had a couple of years earlier, I would have written this Chateau off completely regardless of its pedigree as the wines I tasted this trip, vintages and top performers literally crushed this wine.

    I will withhold final judgment until I taste a better vintage.

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  • Nice deep colour. Have sediments in the bottom. Decanted for two hours. Blackcherry, spicy,medium bodies with low acidity, tight tannin and long finishing. Good wine.

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  • 2011, Château Cos d’Estournel, Saint-Estèphe, Bordeaux, Frankreich. Leuchtendes Rubin. In der Nase offen und würzig, Leder, Tabak, reife Kirschen, Pflaumen, Süssholz, sehr schöne Komplexität. Im Gaumen frisch und zugänglich, mittlerer Körper, gute Struktur, die Frucht wirkt dank einer saftigen Säure frisch, die Gerbstoffe sind allerdings leicht trocknend. Im Abgang von mittlerer Länge. Ein Kind seines Jahrgangs, braucht unbedingt etwas zu Essen, hat Charakter, Ecken und Kanten und dürfte mit etwas Kellerruhe noch ausgewogener werden. 2020-2030+. 18 vvPunkte (90/100). vvWine.ch

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  • The foil at the 2016 en primeur tasting at Lords Cricket Ground, where there was 2014 and 2011 but no 2016!
    Lovely nose, but slightly tart. Nowhere near as good as the excellent 2014.

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  • MW Institute 2011 Bordeaux Tasting: Cassis, kirsch, spice and cherry. Good acid core, there is a line of spice and good structure. Drinking really well already, though time certainly shouldn't cause harm.

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  • Institute of Masters of Wine - 2011 Bdx Tasting (Hyatt, San Francisco): Open with a core of cassis and coffee. Also blueberry, mint, and a lacing of sweet oak.

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  • Drank over three days. A beautiful wine, from exceptional terroir, in a difficult vintage. Restrained and austere, more bones than flesh, though still showing incredible precision, purity, and superb winemaking. Medium plus to high acid, medium powdery tannins, and at 13.5 abv, delightful balance. Likely a 20+ year wine, and priced at under $90, a great wine to experience the Chateau's lauded terroir. Time will serve this well and proper cellaring might reveal a 93 point wine. I found nothing overdone nor any port-like elements. 92-93.

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  • The Institute of Masters of Wine Annual Bordeaux Tasting - 2011 Vintage (Vintners Hall, London): Dark, ripe, raisiny and on the overdone side. Almost porty. Not sure what they were trying to do here or whether they were trying to rescue what was left post that famous hailstorm but a clear disappointment especially comparing with the stellar result that Montrose delivered. Unlucky with nature or on the wrong path (85)

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  • Candied black licorice, cassis, black and red ripe cherries and spice are easily found in the perfume. The wine is soft, with polished round tannins and a medium body. In the mouth, the wine has added weight and filled out in its texture since last tasted. The wine is already accessible and can be enjoyed young, or allowed to age for more complexity.

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  • Blending 65% Cabernet Sauvignon with 33% Merlot and a dollop of Petit Verdot, the wine represents 36% of the production. To achieve the highest level of quality for the Grand Vin, the estate reserved more fruit for Pagodes de Cos than usual. This is the smallest amount of Cos produced since 1991. With a nose of Asian spice, black cherry liqueur, smoke, gravel, earth, truffle, vanilla and fennel, this refined, pure, fresh cassis- filled wine ends with clean, spicy cassis and blackberry in the finish. 93-95Pts

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