I feel like I'm a bit late to the party, here. That's my fault.
Whatever phase this wine is in right now, it's not the LPB 100 pt phase. At all........
Decanted 4 hours, slow ox'd another 3-4 til finished. At no time did this wine approach even a 95.
From the pnp, it's a black, tannic, tar laden cab. 4 hours in the nose wakes up a little, but it takes another 2-3 hours for the nose to warrant a 94. The palate has the stuffing, but it's an iodine laden, toasty cab right now, with some depth. I will def be holding my remaining bottles for spacing out over the next 20 years. I love Cos......but this is not a phase or time that does this vintage justice.
2 1/2 hour double decant, third place in a flight of three: 94,94,95,95. A lovely Bordeaux that is ripe and delicious. Competitors were 2014 Quilceda Creek, the winner with one 95 and three 97s, second was Booker ONES Syrah with a 93 and three 95s. After an hour, the Cos slipped a point with two tasters, while both the others improved a point with everybody. Nevertheless, a treat to drink this dependably good Bordeaux.
First taste of this collection. Maturing nicely. One person noted a bit of tar in the mouth but this blew off. Nose had muted merlot notes. Some moderate tannins in mouth and generally kept developing and opening up over 45 minutes. Should have a good future. Thanks to all who pointed out 1st version of this note where somehow the flawed box was checked. Should be corrected now. It was not flawed, sorry for the confusion.
Dark purple color, almost opaque. Violet nose. This one bolts out of the gate like a champion thoroughbred. Sleek and polished, it features gobs of black fruit balanced by plenty of savory notes. The finish is long and while the tannins are firm, they are in no way impediments to the overall enjoyment of this extraordinary wine.
Even though it is great right now, it has the potential to score a perfect 100 in a few years. If you’ve got one, I suggest holding onto it. If you’ve got a few, I suggest giving one a try right now. This is an extraordinary Bordeaux at the very beginning of its maturational plateau. Bravo!
Decanted for 2 hours and clearly not enough. Muted on the nose but opened up after a while. Not a fruit bomb. Dark garnet in colour, lovely cherries on the nose. Tannins really well balanced and silky. Too easy drinking and started to develop greater weight after about 4 hours. A bit of graphite and flint. Clearly still too young and I see the potential over the next 10 years.
Tasted a small glass from a bottle opened about 18 hours previously. The deeply perfumed red fruit on the nose belies the severity, even austerity, of the initial palate. A gentle warmth appears as it develops, with well integrated tannins and a graphite, almost flinty, core. The finish is long and appealing.
Perhaps my experience was tainted by not having tasted when initially opened, but I can't say this reached the level experienced by other tasters on here. That said, this is a very good example of Saint-Estèphe doing what it does best. A solid 93 point wine at this stage, with plenty of potential for an upgrade at future tastings.
Another big boy last night to culminate a birthday celebration. Retract previous review in lieu yes I can tell the difference in a $300.00 wine LOL. Decanted for a bit 1st thing I notice is the heavy musk that all these wines have as characteristics. Its deep & dark and it has some pop and I can't wait to get into it.
1st taste was SPICE wow didn't expect that from this varietal . Lots of dark currants, dark berries in your typical deep dirt Bordeaux. A few minutes later it mellows incredibly into this smooth song of a river of flavors that finish with bright notes with no hint of the musk that is prevalent in the beginning.
As time wore on it changed even more to an almost sweet spicy finish again. Talk about wines evolving in a short time? A fabulous wine drinking well now but certainly has more time to grow.
Everyone in our tasting group of 16 seems to own this wine, and since some argue it's drinking great now/young, we decided to open one despite its being in the company of some legendary aged bottles. The 1979 Dunn HM and 1993 Dalla Valley Maya were incomparable, but this Cos certainly would have highlighted an evening without those beside it. Having tried it young, I won't be opening my bottles now but instead saving them for much later, when I'm sure this will rate higher.
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A real beauty, a well-developed Bordeaux with classic Cos D flavor profile. Four drinkers alongside a 2016 Realm Bard, at lunch 96,96,97,97 tied with the Realm. Great fun with Reuben sandwiches.
As a previous tasted noted, this is one of the few 2016s that I have had that is not shut down at this point. This wine has all the makings of a future legend with some bottle age. Everything is in perfect balance. Definitely best to give this some time to allow more complexity and depth to come through but you can drink this now if you have a bottle to spare. 96-98++
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Bordeaux tasting - with a few pirates: Consistent. Consistent. Consistent. The slow build on this wine over time really spoke to me. I kept coming back to this bottle. It wasn’t too flashy. It wasn’t too classic. It was a beautiful hybrid of old and new worlds. Purple plum and black raspberry saunter arm-in-arm with deep cherry, currant, cedar, and Christmas spice notes. The equilibrium of flavor and the balanced expansion really take this to the next level. A tick up from my last bottle back on 8/30/2019. One of the few 2016s I’ve had recently that aren’t crawling into a corner, the Cos is a drink now (a decant might have made this even more alluring) or hold for another decade and check it out then. I’ll try to hold my remaining bottles until then…. Good luck with that though…
The fruits on the palate are more black, bitter tannin like black tea and dark, savory minerals.
This was a nice wake up after a few that didn't want to show their goods. This showed way more when I had it for the first time a few years ago. Age definitely did this one well. I hope age doesn't do this too hard where it goes into another phase..
Bordeaux and Beyond (The csimm_M Estate): Yet another contribution from our boundlessly generous hosts. I found this more withdrawn than many of the others, as early tastes were dominated by mixed spice, forest floor, camphor, dark florals, a bit of tobacco with light amounts of mixed dark berries and a red currant/raspberry note adding a welcome lift. I’d have found it impossible to put any score on it until my last taste, when the fruit began asserting itself more and really working in tandem with the structure. At that point, this perked up to a 93-94++ for me, but it showed signs that perhaps a couple of hours later, this could have been at least a couple of points higher, and with 5 years or more of additional bottle age, a couple of more points than that. While I had a general feeling that for most of the night, all of the night in some cases, we weren’t seeing these cuvées at their best, this wine, the Montrose and the SQN seemed to be the apogees of that. Score withheld.
Wine: the Gathering Old World, Bordeaux (Château de Chris et Melissa): With all the hype of the Cos, I was also excited to try this and it did not disappoint. It battled the 10 Angelus for the 2nd spot of the night all evening. Not surprisingly, this has great fruit and good balance. I have the rest of the bottle sitting at home. I will update this TN with my 3 day impression. Something tells me it will be better on Day 3. Still, a phenomenal wine and it lived up to the hype.
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(This was decanted for 6 hours and followed over 3 nights) Day one: not much here except for a strong raw meat/blood note that actually made me worry a little about Brett (wild yeast) unfortunately. Probably a reductive note (?) Day two: Ahh, yes, now we're talking. Kaleidoscopic aromas that change in multifarious ways as I sniff: cooked/candied dark blue/black fruits including such a pure blueberry liqueur (or is it blueberry cobbler?) note that I had to keep going back to it. Soil, camphor, cassis, and smoldering campfire/coal in the background. That meaty/bloody note still hovering around, but in a more integrated way. Finish so smooth and balanced. A "big" wine and yet not overbearing, with great acidity and alcohol in check. Day three: The most striking strawberry (both ripe fresh and cooked/jam) notes just permeate this now, which surprised me as the fruits were totally dark blue the previous. That meaty/bloody element is there along with the coal. Everything just about in equilibrium Cos always bewitches me. The aromatic depth they achieve is off the charts if you give it time (i.e. days) to show you what it has to offer. This is better than the beguiling 2014, but not by much. If not for that overly strong (at first) blood/wild yeast note and preponderance of strawberry on day three, I would rate this bottle even higher. Such a promising future. Don't touch remaining bottles for 10+ years. Rating: 96+
Bordeaux 2016 - 5 Years On - 8 Top Reds: All wines tasted single blind. This tasting proved again that 2016 is an amazing vintage. Compared to many other recent vintages, the 2016s show no excess in any category (especially beneficial for right banks these days) but wines that are still fully ripe. The aromatic complexity and precision are off the charts and structural frames are luxurious. Compared to the more solar 2015s wines we tasted last year, the 2016s will need more time to integrate and open up and might be a tad less charming at this point, but the potential is immense. Group winner was an incredible Ausone, ahead of the Pichon Lalande and an incredible and singular Montrose (which for me was a tied #1 with the Ausone).
TN: Expressive nose with intense ripe red and dark berry aromas, herbs and minerality. Superb precision and very inviting. On the palate the same aromas with a bright red fruit core at the center and some additional aromas fine fresh tobacco. Again, all aromas are delivered in HD. Slightly grainy tannins at first but with any minute in the glass, the wine became softer, rounder and more integrated. Very well integrated acidity providing a perfect lift. Very airy feel and creamy texture. Good length. Quite complete already but not yet the most complex wine. What was surprising, and the same is true for Montrose, is how open, ready and feminine these St. Estephe wines were showing. The Montrose (rated 97+ pts) is the better wine today (and will be in the future) but the Cos is certainly one of the best Cos ever produced too.
Decanting: Decanted for roughly 2 hours which seemed right.
Group rank: #4 out of 8 wines Group score: 95.0 pts
Bordeaux 2016 5-years on: Small horizontal of Bordeaux 2016 five years on. We tasted 8 wines in total from 4 appellations with 2 each in every flight. The setting was single-blind. All wines were at least double-decanted. Top performers were Ausone, Pichon Lalande and Figeac, making St Emilion the best performing appellation. Pomerol, on the other hand (VCC, Conseillante) didn't shine. St Estèphe was surprisingly ready. Pauillac felt early, but incredibly structured. We kicked off with a Selosse Substance and finished with Yquem 2013 and I also snuck in a Pichon Baron 1923. Ranking of all wines included in the tasting story.
Tasting note: Bright cassis fruit, otherwise quite reductive immediately after opening hence decided to go for a 2h decant. Afterwards this added sweet, spicy accents and sour cherry fruit. Surprisingly red in terms of fruit profile on the palate. Silky texture with a linear structure to it. Early days obviously, but promising and already super palatable. The 2016 has come a long way already since bottling, taming the initial wildness.
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This bottle at least, has entered the Hibernation period. PNP through Venturi, very closed. Austere. Some gravel, cigar box and hints of black raspberry, but far more acid than fruit. Capped with Argon, second day still closed. Third day ever so slightly better, some blackberry and black cherry eeking through, but based solely on this bottle, I'm afriad we're in for a long winter (decade). No rating.
I really wanted to join the ranks of CT reviewers to score this at 95-100, but alas another disappointing '16 Bordeaux. This vintage has to be the most overrated in recent times. This wine is medium violet, clear, with high toned flowery primary fruit. Not layered or even very interesting, thankfully there is some mild structure to carry the cherry rhubarb like flavors. I really loved the '12 and '14 vintages oddly, one wouldn't expect that typically. I would say the '16 Calon Segur is my leading candidate for being best in this hyped vintage. Sadly I can't decide whether to score this 92 or 91, so I did a coin toss.
Opened in the bottle all day (8 plus hours) and shocked by its accessibility the entire time. Tannins are present but soft and acidity is in check. Red fruit, cassis, leather, mushroom, mineral (lead), citrus (orange), menthol, white flowers...just endless layers that alternate between ripeness and earth in near perfect harmony. Certainly the complexity/depth here is taken for granted until tasted side by side with a lesser 16 (the still solid Clinet). Clearly too young but actually more accessible than the 09 or 10 now. I suppose drink now before hibernation or wait the long haul.
The 2016 Cos shows a beautiful, intense melange of succulent blueberry, plum, blackcurrant, ink, potpourri, mineral, petrichor, and a touch of pencil. But equally amazing is how fresh and expansive this is - the depth of fruit is not accompanied by any excess extraction whatsoever. No doubt, it's fullish but its tannin is quite fine and well balanced by racy acidity. The alcohol is almost imperceptible, so kudos to Cos for showing the world that Napa-like ABVs aren't required to make intense young Bordeaux. The mouth-filling perfume seems to last and last with a slightly exotic spice, on day 2 (followed for 24 hours) picking up a gorgeous Lafite-like pencil character. This is really ambitious. Archetypal Cos. 96-97(+?)
14 Jun 2020 Deep garnet in color. Initial uncorking... notes of blackberry, cedar, sandalwood, plum, and spices. 2 hours decanted...deep concentrated aromas of blackberry, plum, blueberry, and pencil shavings. Silky tannins with red fruits, blackberry, blueberry, black tea. Everything is well integrated. Paired with lamb loin, great pairing. This is drinkable now but I’m interested to know where this will go with age. Will repour and revisit next day. 15 Jun 2020 More concentrated nose of blackberry, plum, blueberry, black currant, and slight pencil shavings. High tannins with low acid. Serve it cellar temp to bring out freshness. Blackberry, cherry, and blueberry on the palate. I like the amount of tannins present but I could use more acid. Possibly too soon to open, recommend waiting.
Deep ruby red colour. Pronounced nose with dark cherry, blueberry, violets, cedar, tobacco, mocha and smoke. Pronounced taste of dark cherry, blueberry, blackberry, cedar, tobacco, leather and smoke. Long and dry finish with a juicy feeing. High acidity. High, yet smooth, tannins. Medium body. An outstanding St. Estephe that reveals so much now and yet has so much potential going forward. Goes well with beef or lamb, or simply just meditation.
This was very young, I had a few bottles so had to try one. Very well balanced for a wine so young. Blackberry, cedar, and nice toasted oak. Not sure this is a 95+ point wine, it is very good and went down very easy. Many young Bordeaux I have had were big and you knew it had to calm down but could taste all the complexity. This had a 6 hour decant and was very polished, but very single noted. This will get better with age but not sure how much better. It needs more time, but not sure it becomes more complex with age. If I were to score, I would give 92-93pts
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Trinity Fine Wines Tasting (Noel): The wine shows bright color. The wine shows very fresh character (obviously), purity of fruit, iron minerality, tight, sour cherry, expressive and very different for the Cos d'Estournel I remember. I've never had such a young though. The wine follows the same path in the palate, mineral, red fruit, sour cherry, oak, tannins very smooth and not at all aggressive, medium to full body, long finish. Outstanding quality and so easy to drink now. I have a fear that I'm ranking this too low. Maybe I get the opportunity to try this again in the future.
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Decanted for two hours. Deep, ripe plum, sandalwood, blackberry, chocolate pudding, camphor, pine and salty granite. Exceptionally layered, dense and long, with a very full body and personality. So much to say, yet reserved at the same time. The tannins are of velvet. There’s a fine beam of acidity, yet so much volume, with the proper bass notes. Legendary. This will out last many people reading this today. I am absolutely smitten and cannot find a single flaw. Along with the ‘09, this is absolutely epic - yet more refined than the mammoth ‘09. Drink 2027 -.
Swoonworthy Cos and clearly one of the future legends of the vintage, because it has everything. Its cashmere-refinement and slender feminine figure are first-growth level and definitely at the top of the finesse hierarchy this vintage, alongside Leoville Las Cases (and if there's anything else close I haven't had it yet). The days of big fat Parkerized cartoon wines from this chateau are over. Meanwhile it's not remotely subdued in personality as it's brimming with blueberry/blackberry fruit and pencil shavings heavier on the mineral than the cedar. Reminds me of the Pichon-Baron in flavor and aroma, but more slender in build. No doubt the structure for the long haul is here though, however artfully obscured, as a leftover glass the next day shows plenty more muscle.
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Tasted in Paris Le Grand Tasting master class. The wine list was 2016, 2010, 2009, 2005. I didn't have expectation with this wine at all as I assumed it would be too young. It was indeed very young, and the nose was still very much at its early development. While the palate was incredibly balanced, very refined tannin, fruit, alcohol and acidity all put at right places. You can say it's not a wow wine at the moment but the purity and elegance is simply adorable. I finished the wine in my glass without a drop left, whilst 2009 I can't even finish half of it. I couldn't stand 2009. It could be the case that this wine is made so easy drinking at this stage and might not turn great after twenty years (I don't think it will turn into a horrifying mess as 2009 though), or maybe it will be even better in twenty years; but heck, who knows where and how we will be in twenty years? We don't even know we can still enjoy drinking fine wine after this crazy 2020.
DUFT / NASE: der Duft ist immer noch druckvoll im leeren Glas ! Veilchen, Rose, Quitte, brombeere, Cassis, Nahezu ein großartiger Burgunder ( Pinot Noir & Cabernet...)
GESCHMACK / MUND / NASE: sehr FEIN, nahezu Premiere Style, zart, druckvoll schlicht und nobel ! im Abgang langhaltendes mehr Burgund Feeling aber auf die beeindruckende Art, sanfter Riese ? leicht der typische Cos Cabernet Franc in seiner absoluten Stimmigkeit vorhanden, und dennoch läßt er mehr burgundische Fläir schmecken, von Himbeere, Cassis, schwarze Johannisbeere, weniger Wald und Moder, sehr klar und sehr stimmig, etwas wässrig erscheinend, nicht so dicht wie sonst zu kraftvoll, aber gerade DAS hat das gewisse Etwas, mal ein ganau anderer COS ! Der Duft ist noch beeindruckender als der Gaumen, läßt aber Großes erwarten / vermuten...
98 / von 100
Mal sehen wie er sich in der MAGNUM die nächsten zwanzig dreißig Jahre entwickelt..
PROST
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Richer style of aromas with really tightly packed and tight fruit of darker red berries, clearly massive forest, almost animal and with freshly concentrated pencil tip.
Really full bodied and tightly packed wine that cannot open now. Heavily tight dark fruit, dark espresso and deep minerality. Here's the hefty layers that will come up with time. Very firm tannins. The wine also has freshness and there is a energy thats creates excitement for what this wine can give in 20-30 years. Huge potential. 96 points. For now. (96-98p)
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You could lose count if you were trying to number all the layers of velvet drenched, powerful, lifted, sweet, fresh deep red fruits here. The wine offers incredible levels of concentration along with precision, purity, power and elegance. But to take all this in at its peak, patience is required as you will need at least 12 years or so before this really starts shining. But it is going to be worth the wait.
Nose: A blend of ripe red and dark/blue fruits, mushrooms, earthy forest floor, wet oak tree, and plenty of funky undergrowth (in a pleasant way). A very subtle brambliness and subtle, soft spice. A nice leathery note appears (something I haven't picked up in a while) after some time in the glass. A slight dark chocolate that you're gonna have to do some digging for (no pun intended). Interesting how farther away from the glass (like a foot or two away), it has a very pleasant floral scent and clean red fruits.
Palate: Ripe blueberries with tart (not so much to turn you away though) raspberries without any sweetness, plenty of similar earthiness and undergrowth, similar oak from the nose. A soft spice and minerality on the finish. There is also some steeped tea aspects on the finish.
Clear, medium dark Ruby. Dry with medium amounts of fine, grainy tannins. Medium body with medium to medium-plus acidity. Good finish of about 12-14 seconds. Indeed young, obviously. It must've been the recent talks with more experienced tasters on here but I can't help but imagine this would be nice when aged longer, estimating at least 8-10 years as the structure and acidity seem to suggest. If your curiosity is getting the better of you for this bottle at this time, like the fat kid in me, pin it down and tell it to stfu. Give it some time and I can imagine time will treat the acidity and tannins in this wine well. Decant for at least 1.5-2 hours (maybe even more) if you must taste now.. it's almost a little "too wild" right now in terms of juiciness and tartness. 93 for now but I expect this to become something quite nice.
Bordeaux Masterclass (Prince Sydney, 40 Hansard Street): Toast, cream, blackcurrant and plum, slightly ripe brambles, polished oak. Rich, polished, jubey fruit, silky persistent tannins, long finish. Very "complete" wine, balanced, with a long life ahead. Very good.
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Packed and stacked, locked and loaded, 5 by 5, and whatever other militaristic colloquialism you want to use to describe a wine that is party-ready for a suave shindig, but not until 2030. Red currant, red and black raspberry seeds, red cherry, fuzzy peach skin, red-purple plum, red licorice, red and purple Skittles shell, wet limestone, and hints of strawberry vanilla cream and graphite. So much pent-up energy and verve, the frontal push on the attack is direct and primary, with a "how dare you open me before self-driving cars are mainstream" kind of demeanor. Furry in texture and constricted in delivery, but this oozes potential, with all of its flavors (though tight and hyper-focused) showing a complexity that promises to reward with a decade of cellaring. Hold for 7-10 years for the start of an optimum drinking window. Certainly not undrinkable now, but more of an educational experience at this juncture. 96++ points.
UPDATE: Second go-around with this Cos, served next to a ‘15 Rauzan-Segla. The Cos showed more earthy and Frenchie-funk characteristics with extended air. The RS was a bit more focused and deliberate in its flavor expansion when compared to the Cos’ slightly more terroir-driven profile (more wet earth and hay encompassing the beautiful fruit on the tail with the Cos; a bit more stone minerality supporting the fruit core with the RS). The Cos may have a slight edge in terms of depth and ripeness, but the RS carries a sophistication that was more notable. Both need to be forgotten about for 5-7 years minimum.
Way too young but couldn't resist opening a bottle. Our friends brought out a bottle of the 1970(!) to drink beside it. Wow! Both fantastic wines and I can only hope this bottle holds up as well for the next fifty years. (Not that I'll be around to find out :)).
Nice very dark garnet-purple colour which is crystal clear. It is not black/opaque as in some other vintages. On the nose, at first, aromas of redcurrants, raspberries and a faint touch of blackcurrants. With an hour’s air, aromas of blackberries and black cherries as well as a floral component appear. There is also a mineral touch resembling oyster shells. On the palate, the attack is frank with a fruity overtone with the same aromas as on the nose. The tannins, despite being present and plentiful are currently hidden by the brilliant fruit. There is also faint liquorice, bread, smoke as well as a touch of graphite and chocolate. The oak is fairly discrete and you have to look for it to find it (touch of vanilla and very faint roast coffee). My understanding is that they are using less and less oak here (less than 2014 but a bit more than 2018) which seems to be a general Bordeaux trend these last few years. Good concentration and length and a beautiful balance with a nice seam of acidity. Everything is well controlled - nothing over-the-top.
Similarly to the 2014 vintage, I don’t recognize the Cos I was accustomed to in the 80s and 90s as well as in the 2000s till 2008 included. No clearly evident raisin-metal aromas which for me was always a dead giveaway. To make matters even more interesting, I can’t say that I clearly recognize St-Estèphe either at this point (with an extra hour of air, I now do a little bit) - it could be a very good Pauillac, but regardless, this really is delicious and may need a bit more age to show its roots. Undoubtedly this is partially caused by not seeking extreme extraction, reducing oak and a slightly higher acidity. This is the first time in the 13 different vintages of Cos I’ve tasted between 1986 and 2014 where the dominant fruit aromas are red fruits - at least upon opening. It is true with time the black/blue fruits appear and increase, but still, a first. Also, this was delicious today with rare-blue hanger steak and isn’t remotely closed. It probably will close down, but I’m currently unable, from what I am tasting today, to give it a date range for drinking, though if you have a lot, pop one open today and enjoy it! Is probably a 30-35 year wine. As I have limited finances and therefore limited bottles, my next one shouldn't be before 2026. Despite really liking this, I don’t currently see it as a 100 point wine, probably closer to 95-97 today. Really liked it - wonderful balance and complexity. 97
On another note, though this is better than the Pagodes de Cos, the Pagodes really is a baby-Cos this year from an aroma perspective and is certainly worth a look.
Belle robe grenat-pourpre bien sombre sans être noir, mais de mémoire moins violacé/noir que le 2014. Superbe limpidité. Au nez, ce sont d'abords des arômes de groseilles rouges et de framboises, puis le cassis s'en mêle timidement. Avec de l'aération, apparaissent des arômes de cerises noirs et de mûres et un côté floral. Un côté minéral avec une petite impression de coquilles d'huitres. En bouche, l'attaque et franche, fruitée avec continuation des arômes sur le nez, puis arrive le tannin. Il y a tellement de fruit que le tannin passe en second plan, même s'il y a beaucoup de tannins biens fins. Une bonne longueur s'inscrit sur le fruité mentionné plus haut, avec l'ajout de réglisse, de pain et de fumée. L'ensemble a été servi trop chaud mais malgré ça l'équilibre est évident (confirmé par le deuxième verre à la bonne température. Il y a aussi une belle acidité soutenant l'ensemble donnant une impression de bel équilibre et de fraîcheur. Bonne concentration, bonne longueur, tout semble y être. Difficile à noter aujourd'hui. C'est plus sur un équilibre et la qualité des éléments qu'une concentration débordante, mais cela n'est pas négatif, bien au contraire. Rien de "over-the-top" mais dans une finesse insistante.
Similaire au 2014, je n'y trouve pas le Cos d'Estournel des 1980s et 1990s (voir même jusqu'en 2001) avec ces arômes typiques de raisin-métal. En 2014 de plus, je voyais bien le terroir de St-Estèphe, mais là...? Je ne le reconnais pas. Sûrement car moins d'expositions aux fûts de chêne, plus de fraîcheur (mon premier Cos avec une dominance des fruits rouges - même les 2014 était sur les fruits noirs - quoiqu'avec plus d'aération, il y a plus en plus de fruits noirs). Cela dit, ce n'est pas négatif, dans la mesure où le vin est excellent et digeste - accompagnant à merveille le repas aujourd'hui malgré son jeune âge. Mais ça change! Difficile à noter, mais dans la moitié supérieur des 90's, soit 95-97.
The wine looks inky colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like forest floor, mineral, mushroom, oak, black pepper, petrol, rose, fur, tobacco and wet wool. It tastes like blackberry, black currant (cassis) and cranberry. The body is medium. The wine has silky texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity.
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Right now a fierce jumble of very ripe blackberry, raspberry, vanilla, graphite along with some green bell pepper. Very tannic. Guessing at what it will be when it’s all grown up - it’s a little all over the place but with tremendous potential. Let’s just throw a dart at the centre of the picture and call it a 95. Score: 94-98. Relative to expectations: +?
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Bordeaux 2016 III: My third encounter with a few wines from the much lauded 2016 vintage. My conclusions hold true: It's a deep, fine, fresh, classic vintage, one or two steps ahead of the 2015 vintage, in my opinion. While there is a lot of praise for the 2018 vintage already including some critics with on average higher scores than in 2016, I believe that in the long-run, the 2016 vintage will proof to be the superior one. This is especially true for those wines which have 1 to 2% higher alcohol levels in 2018.
Short TN: Small tasting pour. The Cos was the main reason for me to go to another arrivage tasting as I haven't tasted it so far. It did not fully deliver on the high expectations but it became quite obvious that there is a lot more to this wine than what it was able to show today. It is quite singular, quite different to anything else I've tasted from the vintage, especially thanks to some meaty notes, bacon fat, black olives, some barnyard funk. I like that. The best thing, however, is the laser-sharp precision which sets it apart from others and could push it into the Champions League of the 2016 vintage. 94 points today, but a lot of upside potential.
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Gerstl Bordeaux 2016 Arrivage: Third Bordeaux 2016 Arrivage event, this time hosted by Gerstl. Of the wines I had not tasted before, Cos d'Estournel came in strong with a score of 97 while Tertre de la Mouleyre came in last (92) with the others all tightly scattered around 95. My previous impression of not only fantastic but also early accessible vintage were confirmed. Over all three tastings, my top scoring 2016s remain Figeac (2x), Léoville Las Cases and Yquem all at 98.
Beatuful purple colour that catches the eye already from a distance. High intensity nose with mixed forrest berries around a soul of petrol and animal flavours. High octane palate showing lots of minerality, in fact you need to take a big breadth after to recover. Clearly not yet ready and less accessible than others in this great vintage, but definitely one that will age into a beast given enough time.
. The color is dark, the complex nose is deep, with floral and fruity aromas. With an ample body, silky, of a marvelous delicacy, almost at the levels of the fabulous Montrose and Calon Segur 2016
A big jump in from barrel to bottle here. Layers of dark, ripe, juicy, sweet, fresh, dark red red fruits, with a spicy note that clings is only part of the show. Concentrated, lush, sensuous, refined and pure, the wine has depth, length and complexity. Less flashy or exotic as you experienced with the 2009 on release, there is more freshness and refinement in this stunner. This sublime wine will age for decades.
Matter of taste (London): Relatively open with a fantastically perfumed nose of cassis and licorice. Dry with superfine ripe tannins. Very intense mid and then a very long elegant finish. One of too many favourites of this lot of 14, 2016 top Bordeaux wines. What a vintage! 97-99p
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Almost pitch black in color, the wine is all about the intensity, complexity and exotic, lush textures on the palate. But the perfume, with its lean to Asian spice, smoke, licorice, tobacco and blackberries is surreal. Opulent and regal, this is not quite at the level of the brilliant 2009, but it's not far from there either.
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Deep purple at the edges of its inky hue, this wine shows smoke, (Yes, a Deep Purple wine that shows Smoke on the Water) with licorice, Asian spice boysenberry and blackberries at the front of the perfume. The wine is full-bodied, concentrated and palate staining (so don’t spill it on the rug) but it also shows freshness, spice and lift. The fruits are sweet, ripe and ready to eat but that’s just the beginning, stand by for late breaking licorice, spice and silky tannins. There is energy and lift that grabs a seat at the table this year. Produced from a blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc, this wine reached 13.07% alcohol with a pH of 3.66 and is now aging in 80% new, French oak barrels. The harvest took place from September 26 to October 15. 96 - 98 Pts
4/15/2024 - Haystack wrote:
Had the 2016 at Chateau Cos d’Estournel two days ago. It is in a quiet period. Strongly recommend waiting.
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2/27/2024 - Mark1npt Likes this wine: 94 Points
I feel like I'm a bit late to the party, here. That's my fault.
Whatever phase this wine is in right now, it's not the LPB 100 pt phase. At all........
Decanted 4 hours, slow ox'd another 3-4 til finished. At no time did this wine approach even a 95.
From the pnp, it's a black, tannic, tar laden cab. 4 hours in the nose wakes up a little, but it takes another 2-3 hours for the nose to warrant a 94. The palate has the stuffing, but it's an iodine laden, toasty cab right now, with some depth. I will def be holding my remaining bottles for spacing out over the next 20 years. I love Cos......but this is not a phase or time that does this vintage justice.
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2/18/2024 - seijaro Likes this wine: 95 Points
2 1/2 hour double decant, third place in a flight of three: 94,94,95,95. A lovely Bordeaux that is ripe and delicious. Competitors were 2014 Quilceda Creek, the winner with one 95 and three 97s, second was Booker ONES Syrah with a 93 and three 95s. After an hour, the Cos slipped a point with two tasters, while both the others improved a point with everybody. Nevertheless, a treat to drink this dependably good Bordeaux.
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1/2/2024 - brh_wine Likes this wine:
First taste of this collection. Maturing nicely. One person noted a bit of tar in the mouth but this blew off. Nose had muted merlot notes. Some moderate tannins in mouth and generally kept developing and opening up over 45 minutes. Should have a good future.
Thanks to all who pointed out 1st version of this note where somehow the flawed box was checked. Should be corrected now. It was not flawed, sorry for the confusion.
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11/22/2023 - BernieMSY Likes this wine: 97 Points
Decanted for three hours prior to tasting.
Dark purple color, almost opaque. Violet nose.
This one bolts out of the gate like a champion thoroughbred. Sleek and polished, it features gobs of black fruit balanced by plenty of savory notes. The finish is long and while the tannins are firm, they are in no way impediments to the overall enjoyment of this extraordinary wine.
Even though it is great right now, it has the potential to score a perfect 100 in a few years. If you’ve got one, I suggest holding onto it. If you’ve got a few, I suggest giving one a try right now. This is an extraordinary Bordeaux at the very beginning of its maturational plateau. Bravo!
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6/9/2023 - Dwongl wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for 2 hours and clearly not enough. Muted on the nose but opened up after a while. Not a fruit bomb. Dark garnet in colour, lovely cherries on the nose. Tannins really well balanced and silky. Too easy drinking and started to develop greater weight after about 4 hours. A bit of graphite and flint. Clearly still too young and I see the potential over the next 10 years.
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5/16/2023 - danielbird193 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tasted a small glass from a bottle opened about 18 hours previously. The deeply perfumed red fruit on the nose belies the severity, even austerity, of the initial palate. A gentle warmth appears as it develops, with well integrated tannins and a graphite, almost flinty, core. The finish is long and appealing.
Perhaps my experience was tainted by not having tasted when initially opened, but I can't say this reached the level experienced by other tasters on here. That said, this is a very good example of Saint-Estèphe doing what it does best. A solid 93 point wine at this stage, with plenty of potential for an upgrade at future tastings.
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5/5/2023 - gamlingman Likes this wine: 94 Points
Another big boy last night to culminate a birthday celebration. Retract previous review in lieu yes I can tell the difference in a $300.00 wine LOL. Decanted for a bit 1st thing I notice is the heavy musk that all these wines have as characteristics. Its deep & dark and it has some pop and I can't wait to get into it.
1st taste was SPICE wow didn't expect that from this varietal . Lots of dark currants, dark berries in your typical deep dirt Bordeaux. A few minutes later it mellows incredibly into this smooth song of a river of flavors that finish with bright notes with no hint of the musk that is prevalent in the beginning.
As time wore on it changed even more to an almost sweet spicy finish again. Talk about wines evolving in a short time? A fabulous wine drinking well now but certainly has more time to grow.
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5/1/2023 - Montesquieu Likes this wine: 95 Points
Everyone in our tasting group of 16 seems to own this wine, and since some argue it's drinking great now/young, we decided to open one despite its being in the company of some legendary aged bottles. The 1979 Dunn HM and 1993 Dalla Valley Maya were incomparable, but this Cos certainly would have highlighted an evening without those beside it. Having tried it young, I won't be opening my bottles now but instead saving them for much later, when I'm sure this will rate higher.
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2/11/2023 - seijaro Likes this wine: 96 Points
A real beauty, a well-developed Bordeaux with classic Cos D flavor profile. Four drinkers alongside a 2016 Realm Bard, at lunch 96,96,97,97 tied with the Realm. Great fun with Reuben sandwiches.
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11/19/2022 - UFGators Likes this wine: 96 Points
As a previous tasted noted, this is one of the few 2016s that I have had that is not shut down at this point. This wine has all the makings of a future legend with some bottle age. Everything is in perfect balance. Definitely best to give this some time to allow more complexity and depth to come through but you can drink this now if you have a bottle to spare. 96-98++
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11/1/2022 - csimm wrote: 97 Points
Bordeaux tasting - with a few pirates: Consistent. Consistent. Consistent. The slow build on this wine over time really spoke to me. I kept coming back to this bottle. It wasn’t too flashy. It wasn’t too classic. It was a beautiful hybrid of old and new worlds. Purple plum and black raspberry saunter arm-in-arm with deep cherry, currant, cedar, and Christmas spice notes. The equilibrium of flavor and the balanced expansion really take this to the next level. A tick up from my last bottle back on 8/30/2019. One of the few 2016s I’ve had recently that aren’t crawling into a corner, the Cos is a drink now (a decant might have made this even more alluring) or hold for another decade and check it out then. I’ll try to hold my remaining bottles until then…. Good luck with that though…
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10/29/2022 - WineBurrowingWombat Likes this wine: 96 Points
Bordeaux tasting with some Napa outsiders (The Embrace of Silence): Aromas of brooding red and black fruits, deep earth and scattered oak.
The fruits on the palate are more black, bitter tannin like black tea and dark, savory minerals.
This was a nice wake up after a few that didn't want to show their goods. This showed way more when I had it for the first time a few years ago. Age definitely did this one well. I hope age doesn't do this too hard where it goes into another phase..
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10/29/2022 - sfwinelover1 wrote:
Bordeaux and Beyond (The csimm_M Estate): Yet another contribution from our boundlessly generous hosts. I found this more withdrawn than many of the others, as early tastes were dominated by mixed spice, forest floor, camphor, dark florals, a bit of tobacco with light amounts of mixed dark berries and a red currant/raspberry note adding a welcome lift. I’d have found it impossible to put any score on it until my last taste, when the fruit began asserting itself more and really working in tandem with the structure. At that point, this perked up to a 93-94++ for me, but it showed signs that perhaps a couple of hours later, this could have been at least a couple of points higher, and with 5 years or more of additional bottle age, a couple of more points than that. While I had a general feeling that for most of the night, all of the night in some cases, we weren’t seeing these cuvées at their best, this wine, the Montrose and the SQN seemed to be the apogees of that. Score withheld.
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10/29/2022 - bsumoba Likes this wine: 96 Points
Wine: the Gathering Old World, Bordeaux (Château de Chris et Melissa): With all the hype of the Cos, I was also excited to try this and it did not disappoint. It battled the 10 Angelus for the 2nd spot of the night all evening. Not surprisingly, this has great fruit and good balance. I have the rest of the bottle sitting at home. I will update this TN with my 3 day impression. Something tells me it will be better on Day 3. Still, a phenomenal wine and it lived up to the hype.
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6/16/2022 - ChicagoBas Likes this wine: 96 Points
Excellent. Great mouthfeel. Decanted overnight.
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4/11/2022 - Everything Ahead wrote: 96 Points
(This was decanted for 6 hours and followed over 3 nights)
Day one: not much here except for a strong raw meat/blood note that actually made me worry a little about Brett (wild yeast) unfortunately. Probably a reductive note (?)
Day two: Ahh, yes, now we're talking. Kaleidoscopic aromas that change in multifarious ways as I sniff: cooked/candied dark blue/black fruits including such a pure blueberry liqueur (or is it blueberry cobbler?) note that I had to keep going back to it. Soil, camphor, cassis, and smoldering campfire/coal in the background. That meaty/bloody note still hovering around, but in a more integrated way. Finish so smooth and balanced. A "big" wine and yet not overbearing, with great acidity and alcohol in check.
Day three: The most striking strawberry (both ripe fresh and cooked/jam) notes just permeate this now, which surprised me as the fruits were totally dark blue the previous. That meaty/bloody element is there along with the coal. Everything just about in equilibrium
Cos always bewitches me. The aromatic depth they achieve is off the charts if you give it time (i.e. days) to show you what it has to offer.
This is better than the beguiling 2014, but not by much. If not for that overly strong (at first) blood/wild yeast note and preponderance of strawberry on day three, I would rate this bottle even higher. Such a promising future. Don't touch remaining bottles for 10+ years. Rating: 96+
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3/13/2022 - Clube Likes this wine: 100 Points
25 th McKinsey anniversary
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10/21/2021 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Wine Spectator 40th Anniversary; 10/21/2021-10/23/2021 (Marriott Marquis): Very accessible, drinking well, nice fruit. I think the Chateau has changed their style a bit with time and this was showing well.
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9/4/2021 - Cailles wrote: 95 Points
Bordeaux 2016 - 5 Years On - 8 Top Reds: All wines tasted single blind. This tasting proved again that 2016 is an amazing vintage. Compared to many other recent vintages, the 2016s show no excess in any category (especially beneficial for right banks these days) but wines that are still fully ripe. The aromatic complexity and precision are off the charts and structural frames are luxurious. Compared to the more solar 2015s wines we tasted last year, the 2016s will need more time to integrate and open up and might be a tad less charming at this point, but the potential is immense. Group winner was an incredible Ausone, ahead of the Pichon Lalande and an incredible and singular Montrose (which for me was a tied #1 with the Ausone).
TN: Expressive nose with intense ripe red and dark berry aromas, herbs and minerality. Superb precision and very inviting. On the palate the same aromas with a bright red fruit core at the center and some additional aromas fine fresh tobacco. Again, all aromas are delivered in HD. Slightly grainy tannins at first but with any minute in the glass, the wine became softer, rounder and more integrated. Very well integrated acidity providing a perfect lift. Very airy feel and creamy texture. Good length. Quite complete already but not yet the most complex wine. What was surprising, and the same is true for Montrose, is how open, ready and feminine these St. Estephe wines were showing. The Montrose (rated 97+ pts) is the better wine today (and will be in the future) but the Cos is certainly one of the best Cos ever produced too.
Decanting: Decanted for roughly 2 hours which seemed right.
Group rank: #4 out of 8 wines
Group score: 95.0 pts
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8/12/2021 - sirpat00 wrote: 95 Points
Bordeaux 2016 5-years on: Small horizontal of Bordeaux 2016 five years on. We tasted 8 wines in total from 4 appellations with 2 each in every flight. The setting was single-blind. All wines were at least double-decanted. Top performers were Ausone, Pichon Lalande and Figeac, making St Emilion the best performing appellation. Pomerol, on the other hand (VCC, Conseillante) didn't shine. St Estèphe was surprisingly ready. Pauillac felt early, but incredibly structured. We kicked off with a Selosse Substance and finished with Yquem 2013 and I also snuck in a Pichon Baron 1923. Ranking of all wines included in the tasting story.
Tasting note:
Bright cassis fruit, otherwise quite reductive immediately after opening hence decided to go for a 2h decant. Afterwards this added sweet, spicy accents and sour cherry fruit. Surprisingly red in terms of fruit profile on the palate. Silky texture with a linear structure to it. Early days obviously, but promising and already super palatable. The 2016 has come a long way already since bottling, taming the initial wildness.
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7/13/2021 - wineappellation Likes this wine: 96 Points
Tasted blind. Nailed it totally.
Decanted for 3 hours. Hedonistic, full and rich, gravel, cassis, tobacco, whiff of creamy sweet new oak.
Let it sleep. Will be legendary in 15-20 years. 96++
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3/15/2021 - vcc wrote: 100 Points
What a great wine and what a fantastic vintage!
Wait another 5+ years and you'll be delighted (IMO).
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12/22/2020 - nfurlong wrote:
This bottle at least, has entered the Hibernation period. PNP through Venturi, very closed. Austere. Some gravel, cigar box and hints of black raspberry, but far more acid than fruit. Capped with Argon, second day still closed. Third day ever so slightly better, some blackberry and black cherry eeking through, but based solely on this bottle, I'm afriad we're in for a long winter (decade). No rating.
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11/4/2020 - wineotim wrote: 91 Points
I really wanted to join the ranks of CT reviewers to score this at 95-100, but alas another disappointing '16 Bordeaux. This vintage has to be the most overrated in recent times. This wine is medium violet, clear, with high toned flowery primary fruit. Not layered or even very interesting, thankfully there is some mild structure to carry the cherry rhubarb like flavors. I really loved the '12 and '14 vintages oddly, one wouldn't expect that typically. I would say the '16 Calon Segur is my leading candidate for being best in this hyped vintage. Sadly I can't decide whether to score this 92 or 91, so I did a coin toss.
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10/3/2020 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 98 Points
Opened in the bottle all day (8 plus hours) and shocked by its accessibility the entire time. Tannins are present but soft and acidity is in check. Red fruit, cassis, leather, mushroom, mineral (lead), citrus (orange), menthol, white flowers...just endless layers that alternate between ripeness and earth in near perfect harmony. Certainly the complexity/depth here is taken for granted until tasted side by side with a lesser 16 (the still solid Clinet). Clearly too young but actually more accessible than the 09 or 10 now. I suppose drink now before hibernation or wait the long haul.
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7/23/2020 - englishman's claret wrote: 97 Points
The 2016 Cos shows a beautiful, intense melange of succulent blueberry, plum, blackcurrant, ink, potpourri, mineral, petrichor, and a touch of pencil. But equally amazing is how fresh and expansive this is - the depth of fruit is not accompanied by any excess extraction whatsoever. No doubt, it's fullish but its tannin is quite fine and well balanced by racy acidity. The alcohol is almost imperceptible, so kudos to Cos for showing the world that Napa-like ABVs aren't required to make intense young Bordeaux. The mouth-filling perfume seems to last and last with a slightly exotic spice, on day 2 (followed for 24 hours) picking up a gorgeous Lafite-like pencil character. This is really ambitious. Archetypal Cos. 96-97(+?)
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6/14/2020 - MarcinKoral Likes this wine: 95 Points
14 Jun 2020
Deep garnet in color.
Initial uncorking... notes of blackberry, cedar, sandalwood, plum, and spices.
2 hours decanted...deep concentrated aromas of blackberry, plum, blueberry, and pencil shavings.
Silky tannins with red fruits, blackberry, blueberry, black tea. Everything is well integrated.
Paired with lamb loin, great pairing. This is drinkable now but I’m interested to know where this will go with age. Will repour and revisit next day.
15 Jun 2020
More concentrated nose of blackberry, plum, blueberry, black currant, and slight pencil shavings. High tannins with low acid. Serve it cellar temp to bring out freshness. Blackberry, cherry, and blueberry on the palate. I like the amount of tannins present but I could use more acid. Possibly too soon to open, recommend waiting.
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4/21/2020 - SuperSomm wrote:
Deep ruby red colour. Pronounced nose with dark cherry, blueberry, violets, cedar, tobacco, mocha and smoke. Pronounced taste of dark cherry, blueberry, blackberry, cedar, tobacco, leather and smoke. Long and dry finish with a juicy feeing. High acidity. High, yet smooth, tannins. Medium body. An outstanding St. Estephe that reveals so much now and yet has so much potential going forward. Goes well with beef or lamb, or simply just meditation.
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3/23/2020 - zimmy07 wrote:
This was very young, I had a few bottles so had to try one. Very well balanced for a wine so young. Blackberry, cedar, and nice toasted oak. Not sure this is a 95+ point wine, it is very good and went down very easy. Many young Bordeaux I have had were big and you knew it had to calm down but could taste all the complexity. This had a 6 hour decant and was very polished, but very single noted. This will get better with age but not sure how much better. It needs more time, but not sure it becomes more complex with age. If I were to score, I would give 92-93pts
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2/27/2020 - kostaslonis wrote: 95 Points
Trinity Fine Wines Tasting (Noel): The wine shows bright color.
The wine shows very fresh character (obviously), purity of fruit, iron minerality, tight, sour cherry, expressive and very different for the Cos d'Estournel I remember. I've never had such a young though.
The wine follows the same path in the palate, mineral, red fruit, sour cherry, oak, tannins very smooth and not at all aggressive, medium to full body, long finish.
Outstanding quality and so easy to drink now. I have a fear that I'm ranking this too low. Maybe I get the opportunity to try this again in the future.
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12/24/2019 - Matt Scott Likes this wine: 100 Points
Decanted for two hours. Deep, ripe plum, sandalwood, blackberry, chocolate pudding, camphor, pine and salty granite. Exceptionally layered, dense and long, with a very full body and personality. So much to say, yet reserved at the same time. The tannins are of velvet. There’s a fine beam of acidity, yet so much volume, with the proper bass notes. Legendary. This will out last many people reading this today. I am absolutely smitten and cannot find a single flaw. Along with the ‘09, this is absolutely epic - yet more refined than the mammoth ‘09. Drink 2027 -.
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12/21/2019 - Keith Levenberg Likes this wine: 98 Points
Swoonworthy Cos and clearly one of the future legends of the vintage, because it has everything. Its cashmere-refinement and slender feminine figure are first-growth level and definitely at the top of the finesse hierarchy this vintage, alongside Leoville Las Cases (and if there's anything else close I haven't had it yet). The days of big fat Parkerized cartoon wines from this chateau are over. Meanwhile it's not remotely subdued in personality as it's brimming with blueberry/blackberry fruit and pencil shavings heavier on the mineral than the cedar. Reminds me of the Pichon-Baron in flavor and aroma, but more slender in build. No doubt the structure for the long haul is here though, however artfully obscured, as a leftover glass the next day shows plenty more muscle.
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12/1/2019 - narraboth Likes this wine: 96 Points
Tasted in Paris Le Grand Tasting master class.
The wine list was 2016, 2010, 2009, 2005. I didn't have expectation with this wine at all as I assumed it would be too young. It was indeed very young, and the nose was still very much at its early development. While the palate was incredibly balanced, very refined tannin, fruit, alcohol and acidity all put at right places. You can say it's not a wow wine at the moment but the purity and elegance is simply adorable. I finished the wine in my glass without a drop left, whilst 2009 I can't even finish half of it. I couldn't stand 2009.
It could be the case that this wine is made so easy drinking at this stage and might not turn great after twenty years (I don't think it will turn into a horrifying mess as 2009 though), or maybe it will be even better in twenty years; but heck, who knows where and how we will be in twenty years? We don't even know we can still enjoy drinking fine wine after this crazy 2020.
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11/3/2019 - GlöckliWein wrote: 98 Points
WOW,
DUFT / NASE:
der Duft ist immer noch druckvoll im leeren Glas !
Veilchen, Rose, Quitte, brombeere, Cassis,
Nahezu ein großartiger Burgunder ( Pinot Noir & Cabernet...)
GESCHMACK / MUND / NASE:
sehr FEIN, nahezu Premiere Style, zart, druckvoll schlicht und nobel !
im Abgang langhaltendes mehr Burgund Feeling aber auf die beeindruckende Art, sanfter Riese ?
leicht der typische Cos Cabernet Franc in seiner absoluten Stimmigkeit vorhanden, und dennoch läßt er mehr burgundische Fläir schmecken, von Himbeere, Cassis, schwarze Johannisbeere, weniger Wald und Moder, sehr klar und sehr stimmig, etwas wässrig erscheinend, nicht so dicht wie sonst zu kraftvoll, aber gerade DAS hat das gewisse Etwas, mal ein ganau anderer COS !
Der Duft ist noch beeindruckender als der Gaumen,
läßt aber Großes erwarten / vermuten...
98 / von 100
Mal sehen wie er sich in der MAGNUM
die nächsten zwanzig dreißig Jahre entwickelt..
PROST
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9/22/2019 - Andre Brattland wrote: 96 Points
Richer style of aromas with really tightly packed and tight fruit of darker red berries, clearly massive forest, almost animal and with freshly concentrated pencil tip.
Really full bodied and tightly packed wine that cannot open now. Heavily tight dark fruit, dark espresso and deep minerality. Here's the hefty layers that will come up with time. Very firm tannins. The wine also has freshness and there is a energy thats creates excitement for what this wine can give in 20-30 years. Huge potential. 96 points. For now. (96-98p)
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9/21/2019 - Jeff Leve wrote: 100 Points
You could lose count if you were trying to number all the layers of velvet drenched, powerful, lifted, sweet, fresh deep red fruits here. The wine offers incredible levels of concentration along with precision, purity, power and elegance. But to take all this in at its peak, patience is required as you will need at least 12 years or so before this really starts shining. But it is going to be worth the wait.
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9/10/2019 - "Rhône Rider" Likes this wine: 100 Points
Kompakt og lukket. Blåbær, spices, kaffe, sigar. Tettpakket, mineralsk, detaljert. Svært frisk og pent balansert. Svært lang. 100
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9/6/2019 - WineBurrowingWombat Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nose: A blend of ripe red and dark/blue fruits, mushrooms, earthy forest floor, wet oak tree, and plenty of funky undergrowth (in a pleasant way). A very subtle brambliness and subtle, soft spice. A nice leathery note appears (something I haven't picked up in a while) after some time in the glass. A slight dark chocolate that you're gonna have to do some digging for (no pun intended). Interesting how farther away from the glass (like a foot or two away), it has a very pleasant floral scent and clean red fruits.
Palate: Ripe blueberries with tart (not so much to turn you away though) raspberries without any sweetness, plenty of similar earthiness and undergrowth, similar oak from the nose. A soft spice and minerality on the finish. There is also some steeped tea aspects on the finish.
Clear, medium dark Ruby. Dry with medium amounts of fine, grainy tannins. Medium body with medium to medium-plus acidity. Good finish of about 12-14 seconds. Indeed young, obviously. It must've been the recent talks with more experienced tasters on here but I can't help but imagine this would be nice when aged longer, estimating at least 8-10 years as the structure and acidity seem to suggest. If your curiosity is getting the better of you for this bottle at this time, like the fat kid in me, pin it down and tell it to stfu. Give it some time and I can imagine time will treat the acidity and tannins in this wine well. Decant for at least 1.5-2 hours (maybe even more) if you must taste now.. it's almost a little "too wild" right now in terms of juiciness and tartness. 93 for now but I expect this to become something quite nice.
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8/31/2019 - chatters wrote:
Bordeaux Masterclass (Prince Sydney, 40 Hansard Street): Toast, cream, blackcurrant and plum, slightly ripe brambles, polished oak. Rich, polished, jubey fruit, silky persistent tannins, long finish.
Very "complete" wine, balanced, with a long life ahead. Very good.
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8/30/2019 - csimm wrote: 96 Points
Packed and stacked, locked and loaded, 5 by 5, and whatever other militaristic colloquialism you want to use to describe a wine that is party-ready for a suave shindig, but not until 2030. Red currant, red and black raspberry seeds, red cherry, fuzzy peach skin, red-purple plum, red licorice, red and purple Skittles shell, wet limestone, and hints of strawberry vanilla cream and graphite. So much pent-up energy and verve, the frontal push on the attack is direct and primary, with a "how dare you open me before self-driving cars are mainstream" kind of demeanor. Furry in texture and constricted in delivery, but this oozes potential, with all of its flavors (though tight and hyper-focused) showing a complexity that promises to reward with a decade of cellaring. Hold for 7-10 years for the start of an optimum drinking window. Certainly not undrinkable now, but more of an educational experience at this juncture. 96++ points.
UPDATE: Second go-around with this Cos, served next to a ‘15 Rauzan-Segla. The Cos showed more earthy and Frenchie-funk characteristics with extended air. The RS was a bit more focused and deliberate in its flavor expansion when compared to the Cos’ slightly more terroir-driven profile (more wet earth and hay encompassing the beautiful fruit on the tail with the Cos; a bit more stone minerality supporting the fruit core with the RS). The Cos may have a slight edge in terms of depth and ripeness, but the RS carries a sophistication that was more notable. Both need to be forgotten about for 5-7 years minimum.
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8/25/2019 - FLXHoneymoon Likes this wine:
Way too young but couldn't resist opening a bottle. Our friends brought out a bottle of the 1970(!) to drink beside it. Wow! Both fantastic wines and I can only hope this bottle holds up as well for the next fifty years. (Not that I'll be around to find out :)).
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7/28/2019 - ChristopherB Likes this wine: 97 Points
Nice very dark garnet-purple colour which is crystal clear. It is not black/opaque as in some other vintages. On the nose, at first, aromas of redcurrants, raspberries and a faint touch of blackcurrants. With an hour’s air, aromas of blackberries and black cherries as well as a floral component appear. There is also a mineral touch resembling oyster shells. On the palate, the attack is frank with a fruity overtone with the same aromas as on the nose. The tannins, despite being present and plentiful are currently hidden by the brilliant fruit. There is also faint liquorice, bread, smoke as well as a touch of graphite and chocolate. The oak is fairly discrete and you have to look for it to find it (touch of vanilla and very faint roast coffee). My understanding is that they are using less and less oak here (less than 2014 but a bit more than 2018) which seems to be a general Bordeaux trend these last few years. Good concentration and length and a beautiful balance with a nice seam of acidity. Everything is well controlled - nothing over-the-top.
Similarly to the 2014 vintage, I don’t recognize the Cos I was accustomed to in the 80s and 90s as well as in the 2000s till 2008 included. No clearly evident raisin-metal aromas which for me was always a dead giveaway. To make matters even more interesting, I can’t say that I clearly recognize St-Estèphe either at this point (with an extra hour of air, I now do a little bit) - it could be a very good Pauillac, but regardless, this really is delicious and may need a bit more age to show its roots. Undoubtedly this is partially caused by not seeking extreme extraction, reducing oak and a slightly higher acidity. This is the first time in the 13 different vintages of Cos I’ve tasted between 1986 and 2014 where the dominant fruit aromas are red fruits - at least upon opening. It is true with time the black/blue fruits appear and increase, but still, a first. Also, this was delicious today with rare-blue hanger steak and isn’t remotely closed. It probably will close down, but I’m currently unable, from what I am tasting today, to give it a date range for drinking, though if you have a lot, pop one open today and enjoy it! Is probably a 30-35 year wine. As I have limited finances and therefore limited bottles, my next one shouldn't be before 2026. Despite really liking this, I don’t currently see it as a 100 point wine, probably closer to 95-97 today. Really liked it - wonderful balance and complexity. 97
On another note, though this is better than the Pagodes de Cos, the Pagodes really is a baby-Cos this year from an aroma perspective and is certainly worth a look.
Belle robe grenat-pourpre bien sombre sans être noir, mais de mémoire moins violacé/noir que le 2014. Superbe limpidité. Au nez, ce sont d'abords des arômes de groseilles rouges et de framboises, puis le cassis s'en mêle timidement. Avec de l'aération, apparaissent des arômes de cerises noirs et de mûres et un côté floral. Un côté minéral avec une petite impression de coquilles d'huitres. En bouche, l'attaque et franche, fruitée avec continuation des arômes sur le nez, puis arrive le tannin. Il y a tellement de fruit que le tannin passe en second plan, même s'il y a beaucoup de tannins biens fins. Une bonne longueur s'inscrit sur le fruité mentionné plus haut, avec l'ajout de réglisse, de pain et de fumée. L'ensemble a été servi trop chaud mais malgré ça l'équilibre est évident (confirmé par le deuxième verre à la bonne température. Il y a aussi une belle acidité soutenant l'ensemble donnant une impression de bel équilibre et de fraîcheur. Bonne concentration, bonne longueur, tout semble y être. Difficile à noter aujourd'hui. C'est plus sur un équilibre et la qualité des éléments qu'une concentration débordante, mais cela n'est pas négatif, bien au contraire. Rien de "over-the-top" mais dans une finesse insistante.
Similaire au 2014, je n'y trouve pas le Cos d'Estournel des 1980s et 1990s (voir même jusqu'en 2001) avec ces arômes typiques de raisin-métal. En 2014 de plus, je voyais bien le terroir de St-Estèphe, mais là...? Je ne le reconnais pas. Sûrement car moins d'expositions aux fûts de chêne, plus de fraîcheur (mon premier Cos avec une dominance des fruits rouges - même les 2014 était sur les fruits noirs - quoiqu'avec plus d'aération, il y a plus en plus de fruits noirs). Cela dit, ce n'est pas négatif, dans la mesure où le vin est excellent et digeste - accompagnant à merveille le repas aujourd'hui malgré son jeune âge. Mais ça change! Difficile à noter, mais dans la moitié supérieur des 90's, soit 95-97.
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7/19/2019 - Alexandre Pugin Likes this wine: 95 Points
The wine looks inky colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like forest floor, mineral, mushroom, oak, black pepper, petrol, rose, fur, tobacco and wet wool. It tastes like blackberry, black currant (cassis) and cranberry. The body is medium. The wine has silky texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity.
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5/10/2019 - JJYoyo Likes this wine: 95 Points
Right now a fierce jumble of very ripe blackberry, raspberry, vanilla, graphite along with some green bell pepper. Very tannic. Guessing at what it will be when it’s all grown up - it’s a little all over the place but with tremendous potential. Let’s just throw a dart at the centre of the picture and call it a 95.
Score: 94-98. Relative to expectations: +?
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4/18/2019 - Cailles wrote: 94 Points
Bordeaux 2016 III: My third encounter with a few wines from the much lauded 2016 vintage. My conclusions hold true: It's a deep, fine, fresh, classic vintage, one or two steps ahead of the 2015 vintage, in my opinion. While there is a lot of praise for the 2018 vintage already including some critics with on average higher scores than in 2016, I believe that in the long-run, the 2016 vintage will proof to be the superior one. This is especially true for those wines which have 1 to 2% higher alcohol levels in 2018.
Short TN: Small tasting pour. The Cos was the main reason for me to go to another arrivage tasting as I haven't tasted it so far. It did not fully deliver on the high expectations but it became quite obvious that there is a lot more to this wine than what it was able to show today. It is quite singular, quite different to anything else I've tasted from the vintage, especially thanks to some meaty notes, bacon fat, black olives, some barnyard funk. I like that. The best thing, however, is the laser-sharp precision which sets it apart from others and could push it into the Champions League of the 2016 vintage. 94 points today, but a lot of upside potential.
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4/16/2019 - sirpat00 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Gerstl Bordeaux 2016 Arrivage: Third Bordeaux 2016 Arrivage event, this time hosted by Gerstl. Of the wines I had not tasted before, Cos d'Estournel came in strong with a score of 97 while Tertre de la Mouleyre came in last (92) with the others all tightly scattered around 95. My previous impression of not only fantastic but also early accessible vintage were confirmed. Over all three tastings, my top scoring 2016s remain Figeac (2x), Léoville Las Cases and Yquem all at 98.
Beatuful purple colour that catches the eye already from a distance. High intensity nose with mixed forrest berries around a soul of petrol and animal flavours. High octane palate showing lots of minerality, in fact you need to take a big breadth after to recover. Clearly not yet ready and less accessible than others in this great vintage, but definitely one that will age into a beast given enough time.
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2/15/2019 - watcheslover Likes this wine: 96 Points
. The color is dark, the complex nose is deep, with floral and fruity aromas. With an ample body, silky, of a marvelous delicacy, almost at the levels of the fabulous Montrose and Calon Segur 2016
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2/8/2019 - Jeff Leve wrote: 99 Points
A big jump in from barrel to bottle here. Layers of dark, ripe, juicy, sweet, fresh, dark red red fruits, with a spicy note that clings is only part of the show. Concentrated, lush, sensuous, refined and pure, the wine has depth, length and complexity. Less flashy or exotic as you experienced with the 2009 on release, there is more freshness and refinement in this stunner. This sublime wine will age for decades.
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10/27/2018 - Mascarello59 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Matter of taste (London): Relatively open with a fantastically perfumed nose of cassis and licorice. Dry with superfine ripe tannins. Very intense mid and then a very long elegant finish. One of too many favourites of this lot of 14, 2016 top Bordeaux wines. What a vintage! 97-99p
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5/12/2018 - Jeff Leve wrote: 99 Points
Almost pitch black in color, the wine is all about the intensity, complexity and exotic, lush textures on the palate. But the perfume, with its lean to Asian spice, smoke, licorice, tobacco and blackberries is surreal. Opulent and regal, this is not quite at the level of the brilliant 2009, but it's not far from there either.
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4/24/2017 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
Deep purple at the edges of its inky hue, this wine shows smoke, (Yes, a Deep Purple wine that shows Smoke on the Water) with licorice, Asian spice boysenberry and blackberries at the front of the perfume. The wine is full-bodied, concentrated and palate staining (so don’t spill it on the rug) but it also shows freshness, spice and lift. The fruits are sweet, ripe and ready to eat but that’s just the beginning, stand by for late breaking licorice, spice and silky tannins. There is energy and lift that grabs a seat at the table this year. Produced from a blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc, this wine reached 13.07% alcohol with a pH of 3.66 and is now aging in 80% new, French oak barrels. The harvest took place from September 26 to October 15. 96 - 98 Pts
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