FLAWED, glass has a little sediment. To much TCA. Behind the cardboard glue there’s Tomato skins , balsamic, some bacon fat, smokiness. On the palette there’s good acid and resolved tannins finish. Fruit flavours escape me at present maybe due to the tca, not overly complex.
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Monthly Tasting Group: Aged Bordeaux & Napa (Baldamar, Roeville, MN): Dark red plus color, 4mm clear edge. PNP, drank a glass over 2 hours. The nose is the star here, showing tobacco, cigar, orange peel, menthol and more modest red berries. The palate shows cigar, tangy cassis, funky leather and has a satiny texture. This showed very well. 92+pts.
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tasted blind, thougt it was a good vintage, classic left bank, dense but fine tannins. still enough fruit to keep the balance. Bravo for a weak vintage. According to my friend, he bought this at the chateau a few years back!
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Pour la fête de mon fils James. On avait de grandes attentes mais il est apparu un peu et sans éclat. Plus sur la finesse et le tertiaire. Terre et hummus avec du menthol. Tannins fins et fruits rouge avec une finale courte.
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Had it w/some nice bone-in ribeye and Porterhouse. 1st btl out of a case of 6 that came in a great condition. Nicely done in a weak vintage by Cos. Very typical Cos on the nose from the beginning, Woody/cedar, graphite to start, certainly some green-ish notes, in a good way. Smooth tannin to round out the palette w/leather and cigar box coming in later stages. Medium to full body. Awesome value I would say if you like vintage Bordeaux. Easily beaten out the Hermitage La Chapelle from the same vintage in the same night. Looking forward to other btl from this lovely case.
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Judgement of Exchange Arcade: California vs Bordeaux (RA's take): Library leather nose. Bell pepper, with a tobacco finish. Little fruit. This is exceptional for the vintage and if you like undervalued aged Bordeaux this hits the spot, those of you who want a bit more fruit look elsewhere.
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Just a bit lean, nevertheless a classic Bordeaux from a weak vintage; minerals, eukalyptus, cool exterior - but well balanced; a true Bordeaux-fan would be more excited than I was. #PallMall67 #CoraVin
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Exceeded expectations over two hours with great color and relatively full bodied appearance. Luscious nose of cedar and graphite with only a hint of barnyard or green notes. On the palate rich black cherry, cassis, green tobacco and leather. Finish initially good but clipped short by the end of the bottle.
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(Cos vertical, half-blind tasting) Full, complex nose with lovely old-school maturity. Deep, minerally, ink and cedar. Herbaceous stroke only positive in my book. Properly austere, fullish palate. Very good structure. Fresh acidic spine. Balanced aromas of barnyard, gravel, cedar, ink and black, dried fruit. Surprising intensity. Herbaceous bell pepper. Very nice drinking for old-school Bdx drinkers.
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Grand Ole Dame of a Cos; this was in its elegant; refined twilight years. delicate and somewhat faint nose of cherry, star anise, gravel, brush; satisfyingly beautiful palette of flower petals, grain leather, milk chocolate and ripe fruit. Tapers to a razor sharp and distinct finish; carried by soft tannins. Drink now.
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Animal notes on the nose but they evaporate fairly soon, nice Merlot tones on the palata as expected, silky and smooth, earthy, does not rise up to the level of good vintages but Cos is always good. Ready to drink.
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Dinner at South End in New Canaan (South End New Canaan): Decanted beforehand but not sure how long. Benchmark Bordeaux with a big earthy nose with hints of barnyard. More earthiness on the palate with some cherry and blackberry mixed in. A pleasant surprise.
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It might not be the best vintage of Cos but it was good on a quick dinner, doesnt need decant, after 15min or so the wine opened up. Soft fruit note along with secondary note comes out. If you hv a few bottle I would drink it sooner.
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A Fall Magnum Dinner in Toronto (Irongate, Toronto, ON): (from magnum) A solid and better than expected showing. Obviously quite green, but also leather, tobacco, toast, spice box, tar, asphalt, dark cherry and red plum. The palate has lush fruit, fairly low tannin and good elevated acid. The finish is medium with touches of green, secondary tobacco and some moderately intense fruit. Solid aged Bordeaux.
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Strong barnyard aromas on the nose. Very youthful still on the palate, vibrant dark/red berries with great acidic structure and good barnyard notes. What a pleasure to drink!
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Last bottle from my cellar. Fruit starting to fade but still nicely represented with some tobacco and leather. A little earth and funk which faded with time in the glass.
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Grands bordeaux chez Olivier (Geneva): Grenat moyen avec quelques signes d'évolution. Nez aussi très marqué par le manque de maturité (poivrons verts) même s'il y avait >60% de merlot dans ce millésime... Le vin se boit bien actuellement, il est digeste et agréable. La longueur est plutôt moyenne. À boire.
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Opened about 3 hours before drinking, nose had a lot going on, strong tobacco and leather. Color was good without the browning that would have told me it was moving on, but it was a bit thin and underwhelming, though the tobacco and leather we all expect was there. A tiny hint of menthol at the end was the only unexpected bit.
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very earthy nose. very solid. great mouthfeel with strong earth asphalt and tobacco notes. pleasant long finish. holding up very well. still seems as if it has yet to peak.
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Could have opened sooner. The wine is full bodied, with hints of tobacco, leather, fruits. The tanins very well balanced. I like Cos a lot, and this one was no different.
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Red as well as black currants in the bouquet. Some good oak as well. On the palate the same fruits, and they seem to be not fully ripe; green bell pepper. Rustic as well. The wine has a lot of acidity, so I think it can still last a few years. If it will improve? Not sure, it might be all a bit too green.
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Beautiful nose with blackcurrant, hint of tobacco and oak. palate was round extremely soft and failed to live up to the nose. short finish. probably past its peak!
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dinner with friends 16 novembe, roast beef - bottle has kept well. opened 2 hours before drinking and decanted before serving. Dry, subtle fruit, balanced and reasonable finish 89 pts.
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pnp at a byob in evanston. very earthy with notes of tobacco and touch of berry fruit. medium finish very enjoyable. holding up well for a vintage most rated as subpar.
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Dark ruby turning brick on edges. Blackberry nose with black cherries, saddle leather, crushed black pepper, forest floor and pine needles. Delicious palate full of black fruit, blackberries, cherries, pomegranate. Well integrated tannins, full-bodied, silky texture and medium finish. Probably too generous with the 93 last time, but nevertheless a lovely Cos.
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Not as explosive as 1,5 years ago. Too much green pepper and too little fruit on the nose. But otherwise same tasting notes as last time. Drink now. 89-90pts
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Expressive, mineral-laden Nose with lots of roasted green chile and pencil lead, and slight floral note. Medium-full bodied on the palate. Open and drinking well today: purple berry; strong roasted green chile or bell pepper flavor; hints of spice and leather; good acidity; integrated tannins; 13% alc. not noticeable. Seems to be in its peak drinking window: I don't think this has much, if any, room for further improvement.
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Delicious bottle. Maybe not as deep and rich as a Cos from a strong vintage, but the quality shined through for certain. Great balance, a nose that was apparent as the bottle opened, wonderful flavors. Sorry it was my last. Decanted (small-bottom decanter) for about 60 min. The wine did not seem to change much through the meal.
Happy New Year.
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Joli nez, fumé, cèdre et cerises. Bouche délicate, un peu mince , avec de la classe et de la finesse, une finale courte. Un petit millésime bien réussi, mais pas un grand vin. On l'apprécie mieux quand on ne pense pas au prix! 88 pts
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A bit vegetal / green - but great material behind this shone through; think I would drink soon as the green touch may start to overwhelm fruit with time
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Bouchon en excellente condition. Robe évoluée. Nez sur les fruits noirs, bleuets et confitures. Arômes tertiaires présents mais non désagréables. En bouche, l'attaque est sur le fuit, le poivron vert et la réglisse noire. Les tannins sont bien intégrés, l'acidité est franche. La finale est agréable et moyennement longue. Un vin à point et bien équilibré.
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This was a wonderful experience of drinking a first class terroir Bordeaux at its peak if not just on the descent. Popped and poured, which I recommend; the next day it was too tired. Lovely dark hue and only light bricking. Classic forest floor nose, noble, wet leather, rigid oak, sappy and deep bouquet of red currants and dark plums in the background. Superbly elegant as it glided into the mouth with black currants and a medium/long persistent bitter tobacco finish. It did pick up a little freshness after one hour but carafing would tire it out. Absolutely delicious; finesse in a bottle!
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Blind tasted. temperature 14'C. Black color with turning borders: should be 10 years old approximately. Nose noble, not a hint of make up, just character : association of light leather, sap, black pepper and black ink. Mouth very classy, medium bodied but perfect balance between, dark fruit and flowers, burned flavors and smooth tannins: roasted Costa Rica coffee, black tulip, with black pepper and dusty finish. Amazing for everybody, hyper well made wine in an average year, could be a Barrolo to, but Bordeaux right bank 1999 is the best answer I could give. If this wine was a human it would be the queen of the Masai fron Kenya.
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From magnum with only 15 minutes of air time. A nice standard BDX nose, but there's something to be said about that. So many Napa based wines would love to be able to mimic that. Very juicy body but a bit hollow mid-palate. Overall a touch vegetal but tasty and balanced. Was consumed without food but I'm sure this would show much better. Much thanks for sharing this Randy!
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I drank this after a bottle of '01 Cos. The '97 blew the '01 away. The color is faded brick on the edges. The nose is classic Cos with leather, cassis, and tobacco. The taste is multi-dimensional with layers of primary fruit wrapped in secondary flavors of saddle, cigar, and cedar. The finish has high acidity for being 13 years old and lasts for about 20-30 seconds. This wine can go for another 10 years, but I feel like I hit it at its peak.
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Short 1 hour decant and split among 6 people. Paired with roasted lamb and wild rice. Nose of black pepper, briar patch and cassis. Taste matched the nose very closely with a medium finish. Interesting how consistent this wine was from nose through palette and finish. Despite the CT drinking window, this one seems to have at least a few more years of life left.
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Nice, fairly easy-to-drink Bordeaux. Didn't need a lot of air, and had a lovely bouquet straight away. Aroma of concentrated Blackcurrant, mint, tobacco and especially green pepper. I would rank the aroma alone 95 pts. The taste was a bit more simple, but still nice. Acidic, but not overly so, and hints of tobacco and bright berries. Will keep my last bottle for 2 more years.
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Amazing bottle of wine. Very dark, almost plasma. Very fine example of a St. Estephe (maybe the finest). Drinking well at this time. The nose and aroma are just perfection. I had tastes of blackcurrents, spices and pepper...
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Ruby (dark) with brick-colour around the edges. Nose: backcurrant, mint, herbal, pencil lead, leather. Palate: Delicate, relatively high acidity, tannins well integrated. Blackcurrant, mint, herbs. Medium long.
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Ruby turning dark brick at edges, medium-fast legs. Beautiful nose of mint, blackberries, cherries and a hint of chocolate. Predominantly Cab, (despite 45% merlot). Ripe fruit, well-integrated tannins. Elegant, if not sophisticated, but knocks spots off the '97 Mouton Rothschild. I fell in love with Cos when I drank a '53 in Dec 2003, with my brother on his 50th birthday, and the love affair continues. Full-bodied, juicy texture, finish not the longest, but a great drink nonetheles. Now to 2012.
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The wine looks Tawny colored. It smells like Forest floor, Cedar, Meaty, Lead Pencil, and Tobacco. It tastes like and Cedar. The body is Medium/Full. The wine is textured Polished. The wine finishes Medium.
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It's not often that I have a Bordeaux with some age on it. This did not disappoint. Nice plum aromas that were affirmed on the initial taste. Eventually this faded to a slight oak and slight spice. There was still some fine granularity in the finish. I don't have any significant experience with aged Bordeaux, but IMHO this wine does not have much time left. Perhaps through 2011.
Had at The Palace in The Cincinnatian Hotel on a business trip. Great service and a great meal including a braised pork shank that just melted off the bone and into my mouth.
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This was one of the last bottles from the 4 cases we bought for our wedding in 2004. A little light on the nose compared with more illustrious vintages but on the palate it is unmistakably Cos. Still drinking well.
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Drunk from a half bottle that's been well stored, base neck fill. Popped and poured.
Beautiful garnet robe, brick disc. The nose is the most important component of a wine for me, and I love this one. I really like being able to smell the bouquet while I'm decanting - always a good sign in my book! Intoxicating lead pencil, leather, brambly crushed fruits mix with just the right amount of barnyard; there's some spice and smoke in here too (but the good kind). Beautiful, diaphanous nose that is classically Bordeaux and reminds me of why I drink wine. The nose is just so beautiful.
It took me a while to get around to the palate, which is a lot simpler than the nose. Here it's the pencil lead and a really nice plum note that take the fore, with an oaky finish to follow. Medium in body, acidity balanced well, medium-high gritty tannins. With some air, nice notes of tobacco but this is drinking well as soon as the cork is popped. I wouldn't decant too long.
Perhaps a bit wanting in concentration, but then again I don't care all that much given how nice this nose is. Personally, I think this has got some time yet. Perhaps another 5 years at this level, but there's really no reason not to go for this one right now. Makes sense that this is a '97 given the ever-so-slightly dilute palate, but what a wonderful showing for Cos in terms of qpr. QPR aside, I really like this. Reminds me of some of the classics that got me started on this whole thing...
4/5
With air, pencil shavings and nice cigar. But really - this is one to pop and pour. Decant for sediment, serve immediately. Best in the first 30 minutes.
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This has evolved into an elegant, seamless wine, with tobacco, damp earth and cedar notes. There is little acidity in the mid-palate, so I expect that it will hold its balance for only a couple of years. Right now, however, its a beautiful wine.
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Yowza! Picked this little chap up for £30 in a sale at the local wine shop and I have to say it is rocking right now. Wonderful nose of tobacco leaf, balsamic, damp soil, cedar - very complex and mature. Nice whack of menthol coming through as well. In the mouth it is much better than I was expecting for a 1997 - sweetness there, but backed up with a nice grippy tannic backbone that is not shouting out over the fruit but rather working with it to deliver up a nice complete semi-mature St Estephe. Lacks real punch in the mid-palate but this is more of a vintage issue - the more I drink these 97's the more I am liking them right now. This has a few years on it but there is nice tension right now between the acidity, tannins and fruit
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Oeil: le pourtour est orangé mais le vin démontre qu'une minime évolution, c'est quand même opaque dans le verre. le vin fut carafé au moins une bonne heure et demi.
Nez : Quand même expressif sur des notes de gazons, cuir ainsi que de tabac
En bouche, on dénote la mine de crayon, la terre humide, les champignons. Le vin vin est très bien balancé, les tannins étaient bien intégrés.
Le vin a été bu entre le Château tour du Sème 2000 et Pavie-Macquin 1997
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Medium dense brick ruby. Decanted about 30 minutes before first glass, with good profit for the nose. Initially cassis, with pencil lead, and with some nice fresh tilled black soil and dried mushroom. After a bit seemed to pick up some red fruits. Much later moved back toward a plum/prune aroma. There is also a lifted sweet spice element. Body is quite silky. Mixed berries with a dusting of spice. Tannins nearly gone. There isn't a lot of complexity and not much power, but it is remarkably smooth and balanced.
I don't see any upside for longer aging, but it seems like it will hold in for a while longer. Seemed to oscillate between an 89 to 90 for me. Since it was hanging in pretty well day two I'll give it the 90.
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Vertical with 1996 on the same evening. 97 open much faster than 96, when open taste like a juicy not like a wine, not mouth feeling and after taste, but the nose is good, leather and earth. After put into the decanter and stay for about 30 minutes, the wine change much better, the Cos's feel coming back, but the finishing is short.
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Decanted for 2.5 hrs, drank over 2.5 hrs. Fantastic nose with bell peppers and spice. Very smooth palate. Tannins were unobtrusive from age and decanting.
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Cos d'Estournel Wine Dinner with Valentine Labarthe (The Pawn, Hong Kong): Deep red/purple colour, slightly translucent. Wow..... classic Cos nose that is absolutely stunning and surprisingly mature. Good fruity and chalky palate but thin and obviously from a wet year. Dry tannins are almost fully resolved on the back end. Pleasant but not one to keep.
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Oregano or tobacco on the nose, soft and light on the first pour from the cellar, tannins gone. Bell pepper up front, raspberry/sour cherry on the medium long finish. A bit blandish but nice.
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Blackberry, chocolate, touch of herbs and lead pencil developing on the nose. Blackberry again with a touch of lead pencil on entry. Fruits do get a wee touch more concentrated a touch of cassis towards the end. Tannins almost non existant initially, though good structure. They do start to encroach towards the end.
An honest wine with no great concentration or intensity. But I feel with 5-10 years left in it. (89)
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Earthy, old leather tasting wine. Very comforting and round in the mouth. Thoroughly enjoyable and easy. About as good as this wine will get, I think. Drink up!!
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The wine took at least 4 hrs to open up. This is well below Cos quality in other vintages i had. Nose gave notes of wood, mushroom, hint of strawberry. Fruit was not obvious on the palate, although wine was rounded. Not great - buy one bottle of the 96 rather than 2 of the 97.
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sweet red fruits with a great balance and backbone. Obviously well stored as it was still young and somewhat tight. Very silky wine, somewhat one dimensional, but good
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Sweet nose - fruit and vegetables, but totally dry. First taste was soft and supple, with the tannins nearly gone, primarily leather with very, very light fruit (sour cherry or plum); the fruit is more apparent on the long finish.
After about 30 minutes, the wine develops to be even softer, with a hint of chocolate.
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I realize that there are a of doubts about '97 Bordeaux. So far, I have had no problems (this is second or third wine of the vintage I have had). The bottle is a classic Cos in many ways. The tannins are present, but very well-balanced and in check. The wine has taste and some depth, but it is not fruity by any stretch of the imagination. We let this sit for about 90 minutes before we drank it over the course of a prime rib dinner. It opened up (or evolved because it was fine at first) over the course of the meal. I will let the next one sit for 3 hours or so just to see the difference. Very pleasant.
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Dinner out with Lurdan and Mrs. D. A lovely Cos in a lighter style. Ready to drink with a half hour of breathing, this wine exhibits a classic nose of barnyard and cassis. What follows is a charming, open-knit wine with plenty of peppery, dark fruit and loads of casis, as well as a hint of lead pencil. Despite its 45% Merlot content, the wonderful chocolate notes found in other underrated Cos, such as the 1988, are absent and the Cabernet component is completely dominant. Tannins are fully integrated and quite refined. The wine neither improved nor declined over the 2 hours, suggesting another several years of enjoyment, but no pay off from additional cellaring. Certainly not a blockbuster, this is beautiful claret representing a good value if purchased for $50 or less.
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Very obvious in a blind tasting of 25 Cal Cabs from same year. Slightly green tinge to the earthy (borderline barnyard), cigar box, and red/black fruit. 87 on day 2.
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This was opened by a friend over the weekend in Michigan next to the 1997 Lafite Rothschild at their anniversary dinner. The cepage of this wine is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Merlot. 1997 was a poor year in Bordeaux but this wine showed some character. It was a far cry from the quality of either the 1996 or 2000 Cos d'Estournel's that I have had in the last 5 years. We decanted this wine for 3 hours before dinner. It was moderately sedimented. A lot of character on the nose with pencil shavings, charcoal and forest floor aromas. This was medium bodied with integrated tannins. Notes of dried mushrooms, black fruit and roses. The finish was shorter than I expected. 90-91 points.
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had this with my dad for his 70th (yup, we had a few--what's the point of having a cellar otherwise). A very solid wine. I suspect others, including my dad, would have given this a 91-2. I'm just not a big claret fan. This had a bold nose of sandlewood and mint though a bit monolithic to my taste (nose). Flavors were round, graphite, mint, cassis, leather. The usual suspects that make good bordeaux. Just not the liveliness and acidity (ok, pretty much the same thing) that I hope for from a (food) wine. A great deal (24 bucks) and a wine to make bordeaux fans (hi dad) happy, but leaves me a little cold. If you are one of those fans, you'll like this wine and it should continue to hold (maybe even improve) for the next 5-10 years.
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Splash decanted and into the glasses. Wonderful earthy, stockyard notes on the nose. The color had maybe just a tinge of fading at the edges but no real obvious signs of age. Flavors were fantastic and layered with a nice long finish. We opened a 98 Cos right after this one and it was not even in the same league.
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I always love older wine but Cos 1997 when compare with 1993, every single of its texture is clearly better. This is a good example of original Cos. Nose of clean mud, elegance, very typical style. Nice acid and balance, nice aftertaste too.
1990,1995 are very heavy, I feel uncomfortable with them...1996 is recommended...
For the smaller budget...1997 is the one and the only !!! ( 89++/100 )
Drink it now - 2015...2017...the old fine wine...
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Lovely open nose, with cedar, pencil shavings, tobacco and some warm fruit. Medium bodied with lovely fruit and spices. Round and supple, no noticable tannins left. Peak drinking.
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My friend Vassilis Papadopoulos brought this bottle at home. Deep ruby color with some hues of onion skin color to the edges. Attractive nose with hints of dust, tobacco, leather, fresh walnut, plum, wood and gentle oaky vanilla. Medium - bodied with well integrated tannins and a velvety finish (about 30 sec). Ready to drink now, but with a good ageing potential for the next 5 or 6 years.
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Just an evening to compare some juice w/ friends: Nicely balanced between mature -which will not compliment this wine - and youthful temperament. Good acids layered on red fruit. A shadow of Cos distinctiveness. Enjoyable, played well with steak.
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Nice, but I didn't enjoy this as much as the previous bottle. Fruit fading to leather and graphite; dusty tannins. I like BSherwin's description "Solid if unspectacular."
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Pretty nice. Bretty nose blew off after a bit and left some nice fruit. Lean and light bodied, there was abundant cedar with some herb notes. I expected less from this vintage. Solid if unspectacular.
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Nothing wrong here. Complex nose with notes of leather, pencil lead, old books (not TCA). Robust attack with tempered mid-palate and finish. Classic bordeaux dusty tannins. Probably catching this at peak maturity. Ratings be damned; I could drink this every night.
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This was my third bottle of this since release. Starting to develop a bit. Not as tight or tart as the first two. This time reeking of cedar. The fruit here now is 100% cassis and the dominant flavor is cedar. There is a somewhat weedy bitterness on the finish. Unmistakeably cabernet dominated despite the 45% merlot in the mix. Not a great vintage obviously but a decent effort. I actually prefer the 96 Pagodes de Cos which is a at least a 90/100.
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Big nose of tobacco and pepper with the signature St. Estephe dusty tannins. Purple/red color looking much younger than the Pichon Lalande and Leoville Barton it was (single-blind) tasted with. Medium to full body, but a bit hollow on the mid palate. Good, long tannin-dusted finish. Although all the pieces are here, it had little charm and wasn't much fun to drink. Of the three, this has the best potential to last. But will it improve? (Dinner at Fringale; picked this one out correctly). (Rating includes potential to age: otherwise it would be lower).
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Still quite a youthful appearance. Open earthy hedgerow nose with concentrated fruit behind. Soft. Good fruit. Decent structure. Tannins are slow to show themselves but they appear on the finish, with a touch of spice. Interesting structure. Slightly raw flavour on finish and after, and a bit short. Good (just) 60% Cabernet; 40% Merlot
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Dark, opaque ruby colour. Aromatic, spicy cassis, cedar, dark chocolate and pepper nose. Medium-full bodied with rich fruit and firm, spicy, but approachable tannins; balanced acid; good length. Now-2010
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10/15/2023 - Geerath wrote: flawed
FLAWED, glass has a little sediment. To much TCA. Behind the cardboard glue there’s Tomato skins , balsamic, some bacon fat, smokiness. On the palette there’s good acid and resolved tannins finish. Fruit flavours escape me at present maybe due to the tca, not overly complex.
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2/27/2022 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Monthly Tasting Group: Aged Bordeaux & Napa (Baldamar, Roeville, MN): Dark red plus color, 4mm clear edge. PNP, drank a glass over 2 hours. The nose is the star here, showing tobacco, cigar, orange peel, menthol and more modest red berries. The palate shows cigar, tangy cassis, funky leather and has a satiny texture. This showed very well. 92+pts.
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1/22/2021 - dnnk88 wrote: 90 Points
Red fruits, black fruits, cassis, dried herbs. Not outstanding but still a nice bottle. Open up soon as this is in a decline IMO.
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12/18/2020 - Cae42 Likes this wine:
Vin agréable mais une déception.
Sur le déclin
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12/9/2020 - danielk168 Likes this wine: 93 Points
tasted blind, thougt it was a good vintage, classic left bank, dense but fine tannins. still enough fruit to keep the balance. Bravo for a weak vintage. According to my friend, he bought this at the chateau a few years back!
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7/20/2020 - maxima wrote: 89 Points
Pour la fête de mon fils James.
On avait de grandes attentes mais il est
apparu un peu et sans éclat.
Plus sur la finesse et le tertiaire.
Terre et hummus avec du menthol.
Tannins fins et fruits rouge avec une
finale courte.
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2/22/2020 - bubucap wrote: flawed
Had high expectations After Reading the current notes
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1/28/2020 - DaBUBBLE Likes this wine: 93 Points
Had it w/some nice bone-in ribeye and Porterhouse. 1st btl out of a case of 6 that came in a great condition. Nicely done in a weak vintage by Cos. Very typical Cos on the nose from the beginning, Woody/cedar, graphite to start, certainly some green-ish notes, in a good way. Smooth tannin to round out the palette w/leather and cigar box coming in later stages. Medium to full body. Awesome value I would say if you like vintage Bordeaux. Easily beaten out the Hermitage La Chapelle from the same vintage in the same night. Looking forward to other btl from this lovely case.
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5/17/2019 - Lord of the Bottles Likes this wine: 93 Points
Judgement of Exchange Arcade: California vs Bordeaux (RA's take): Library leather nose. Bell pepper, with a tobacco finish. Little fruit. This is exceptional for the vintage and if you like undervalued aged Bordeaux this hits the spot, those of you who want a bit more fruit look elsewhere.
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4/10/2019 - beatles wrote: 90 Points
Just a bit lean, nevertheless a classic Bordeaux from a weak vintage; minerals, eukalyptus, cool exterior - but well balanced; a true Bordeaux-fan would be more excited than I was.
#PallMall67 #CoraVin
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1/5/2019 - Neecies Likes this wine: 93 Points
Exceeded expectations over two hours with great color and relatively full bodied appearance. Luscious nose of cedar and graphite with only a hint of barnyard or green notes. On the palate rich black cherry, cassis, green tobacco and leather. Finish initially good but clipped short by the end of the bottle.
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3/4/2018 - Argrath wrote: 93 Points
(Cos vertical, half-blind tasting)
Full, complex nose with lovely old-school maturity. Deep, minerally, ink and cedar. Herbaceous stroke only positive in my book.
Properly austere, fullish palate. Very good structure. Fresh acidic spine. Balanced aromas of barnyard, gravel, cedar, ink and black, dried fruit. Surprising intensity. Herbaceous bell pepper.
Very nice drinking for old-school Bdx drinkers.
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11/5/2017 - BSCC wrote:
Decanted half a bottle. Initially cannot smell or taste any fruit.
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3/25/2017 - vinhonotte Likes this wine: 90 Points
Cellaraid - Five Decades of Château Cos d'Estournel (Summer Pavilion, Ritz Carlton Singapore): clear, deep ruby; clean, pronounced nose, of green bell pepper, and red berries; dry, medium acid, tannic, with raspberry, bell peppers, smoked oak; long finish; the vegetal notes are intresting...
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12/23/2016 - bengti Likes this wine: 92 Points
Grand Ole Dame of a Cos; this was in its elegant; refined twilight years. delicate and somewhat faint nose of cherry, star anise, gravel, brush; satisfyingly beautiful palette of flower petals, grain leather, milk chocolate and ripe fruit. Tapers to a razor sharp and distinct finish; carried by soft tannins. Drink now.
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12/9/2016 - Lype Likes this wine: 90 Points
Animal notes on the nose but they evaporate fairly soon, nice Merlot tones on the palata as expected, silky and smooth, earthy, does not rise up to the level of good vintages but Cos is always good. Ready to drink.
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11/5/2016 - slywka7 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dinner at South End in New Canaan (South End New Canaan): Decanted beforehand but not sure how long. Benchmark Bordeaux with a big earthy nose with hints of barnyard. More earthiness on the palate with some cherry and blackberry mixed in. A pleasant surprise.
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10/1/2016 - KenK wrote: 88 Points
Good wine and giving nice pleasure, just a bit simple. No reason to hold, but not going to die quickly either.
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8/22/2016 - edluk89 Likes this wine: 89 Points
It might not be the best vintage of Cos but it was good on a quick dinner, doesnt need decant, after 15min or so the wine opened up. Soft fruit note along with secondary note comes out. If you hv a few bottle I would drink it sooner.
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10/18/2015 - AWBryce wrote: 92 Points
Sweet dark fruit, lemon cake. Liquorice on the palate, long finish. I really enjoyed this but it seems I was at odds with a few others at the table.
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10/7/2015 - Wine Canuck wrote: 90 Points
A Fall Magnum Dinner in Toronto (Irongate, Toronto, ON): (from magnum) A solid and better than expected showing. Obviously quite green, but also leather, tobacco, toast, spice box, tar, asphalt, dark cherry and red plum. The palate has lush fruit, fairly low tannin and good elevated acid. The finish is medium with touches of green, secondary tobacco and some moderately intense fruit. Solid aged Bordeaux.
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8/22/2015 - Henman wrote: 93 Points
Strong barnyard aromas on the nose. Very youthful still on the palate, vibrant dark/red berries with great acidic structure and good barnyard notes. What a pleasure to drink!
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1/11/2015 - Duckpond Likes this wine: 95 Points
Ready to drink in the next few years, still good fruit and some residual tannins.
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10/28/2014 - Bil Likes this wine: 90 Points
Last bottle from my cellar. Fruit starting to fade but still nicely represented with some tobacco and leather. A little earth and funk which faded with time in the glass.
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8/14/2014 - Ericsson wrote: 88 Points
Grands bordeaux chez Olivier (Geneva): Grenat moyen avec quelques signes d'évolution. Nez aussi très marqué par le manque de maturité (poivrons verts) même s'il y avait >60% de merlot dans ce millésime... Le vin se boit bien actuellement, il est digeste et agréable. La longueur est plutôt moyenne. À boire.
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3/29/2014 - quinihno wrote: 93 Points
Pretty fuckin good
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3/5/2014 - NJM4 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Opened about 3 hours before drinking, nose had a lot going on, strong tobacco and leather. Color was good without the browning that would have told me it was moving on, but it was a bit thin and underwhelming, though the tobacco and leather we all expect was there. A tiny hint of menthol at the end was the only unexpected bit.
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11/26/2013 - THA Likes this wine:
I really enjoyed this wine. Old school. Earthy, almost funky, aromas layered over a core of delicious fruit. A masculine wine. Fully mature.
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10/30/2013 - mnoljo wrote: 91 Points
very earthy nose. very solid. great mouthfeel with strong earth asphalt and tobacco notes. pleasant long finish. holding up very well. still seems as if it has yet to peak.
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9/1/2013 - Luis N Likes this wine: 91 Points
Could have opened sooner. The wine is full bodied, with hints of tobacco, leather, fruits. The tanins very well balanced. I like Cos a lot, and this one was no different.
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5/4/2013 - GalvezGuy wrote: 90 Points
CT Texas V - North Dallas Forty and then some; 5/3/2013-5/5/2013 (McKinney, North Dallas, TX): Interesting comparison, while the 96 appears shut down, this appears to be a little past peak. Still very interesting with a nose of black currant, tobacco, and leather. On the palate, black currant, tobacco, with hints of pine resin. Decent finish.
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4/6/2013 - Zweder wrote: 89 Points
Red as well as black currants in the bouquet. Some good oak as well. On the palate the same fruits, and they seem to be not fully ripe; green bell pepper. Rustic as well. The wine has a lot of acidity, so I think it can still last a few years. If it will improve? Not sure, it might be all a bit too green.
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3/31/2013 - dhlau Likes this wine: 88 Points
Beautiful nose with blackcurrant, hint of tobacco and oak. palate was round extremely soft and failed to live up to the nose. short finish. probably past its peak!
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12/9/2012 - sigge wrote: 93 Points
Perfect mature. Harmonic all the way through. Leather, truffle, forest berries. Delicious.
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11/17/2012 - NKW wrote:
dinner with friends 16 novembe, roast beef - bottle has kept well. opened 2 hours before drinking and decanted before serving. Dry, subtle fruit, balanced and reasonable finish 89 pts.
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11/5/2012 - mnoljo wrote: 91 Points
pnp at a byob in evanston. very earthy with notes of tobacco and touch of berry fruit. medium finish very enjoyable. holding up well for a vintage most rated as subpar.
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11/2/2012 - wineismylife wrote: flawed
Friday night for ckinv368's Birthday (Farnatchi, Dallas, Texas): WIMLNR
Tasted non blind.
Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Unfortunately the party stops here. Corked, obviously so. Shame.
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9/30/2012 - jefiset wrote: 88 Points
Goût prononcé de poivron vert, tannin intégré. tertiaire.
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9/8/2012 - Tim Carney Likes this wine: 91 Points
opened up nicely
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9/7/2012 - Superpinot wrote:
Unusual. Great nose. Oaky. Slightly leady. Muru's sommelier thought good value.
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8/4/2012 - RISM wrote: 90 Points
Dark ruby turning brick on edges. Blackberry nose with black cherries, saddle leather, crushed black pepper, forest floor and pine needles. Delicious palate full of black fruit, blackberries, cherries, pomegranate. Well integrated tannins, full-bodied, silky texture and medium finish. Probably too generous with the 93 last time, but nevertheless a lovely Cos.
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4/3/2012 - klino wrote: 90 Points
Not as explosive as 1,5 years ago. Too much green pepper and too little fruit on the nose. But otherwise same tasting notes as last time. Drink now. 89-90pts
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3/31/2012 - Tight Lines Likes this wine: 90 Points
I really enjoy this wine - not know as a good year, yet provides a very nice bordeaux experience - the tannins appear to be settling out.
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3/30/2012 - noppakit s. wrote: 90 Points
Very beautiful at this moment, much better than my last tasting in December 2009.
Very attractive nose that has changed every 10-15 mins, silky smooth, medium-bodied, moderate tannin and nice finished.
A wine like this needs the right time and the right place. Once I first tasted 1997, I knew exactly...this must be a very classic Cos !!!
Dear wine-lovers,
If you have 1997 Cos in your cellar, bring it to drink...drink slowly... I prefer a lovely 1997 than 2000 and 2003.
Drink now - 2020..................89-91/100.................it's not great but very very good....................
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2/25/2012 - grafstrb wrote:
Bdx. growths (1988 - 1999) (London Venue Club (Sheffield, UK)): -- tasted a single pour non-blind over approx. 10 - 15 min. --
Expressive, mineral-laden Nose with lots of roasted green chile and pencil lead, and slight floral note. Medium-full bodied on the palate. Open and drinking well today: purple berry; strong roasted green chile or bell pepper flavor; hints of spice and leather; good acidity; integrated tannins; 13% alc. not noticeable. Seems to be in its peak drinking window: I don't think this has much, if any, room for further improvement.
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12/31/2011 - John Nezlek wrote: 92 Points
Delicious bottle. Maybe not as deep and rich as a Cos from a strong vintage, but the quality shined through for certain. Great balance, a nose that was apparent as the bottle opened, wonderful flavors. Sorry it was my last. Decanted (small-bottom decanter) for about 60 min. The wine did not seem to change much through the meal.
Happy New Year.
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12/29/2011 - d'Artagnan wrote: 88 Points
Joli nez, fumé, cèdre et cerises. Bouche délicate, un peu mince , avec de la classe et de la finesse, une finale courte. Un petit millésime bien réussi, mais pas un grand vin. On l'apprécie mieux quand on ne pense pas au prix! 88 pts
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11/12/2011 - steinersing wrote: 88 Points
A bit vegetal / green - but great material behind this shone through; think I would drink soon as the green touch may start to overwhelm fruit with time
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11/6/2011 - jefiset wrote: 91 Points
Bouchon en excellente condition. Robe évoluée. Nez sur les fruits noirs, bleuets et confitures. Arômes tertiaires présents mais non désagréables. En bouche, l'attaque est sur le fuit, le poivron vert et la réglisse noire. Les tannins sont bien intégrés, l'acidité est franche. La finale est agréable et moyennement longue. Un vin à point et bien équilibré.
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11/6/2011 - Capt Cutlass wrote: 94 Points
This was a wonderful experience of drinking a first class terroir Bordeaux at its peak if not just on the descent. Popped and poured, which I recommend; the next day it was too tired. Lovely dark hue and only light bricking. Classic forest floor nose, noble, wet leather, rigid oak, sappy and deep bouquet of red currants and dark plums in the background. Superbly elegant as it glided into the mouth with black currants and a medium/long persistent bitter tobacco finish. It did pick up a little freshness after one hour but carafing would tire it out. Absolutely delicious; finesse in a bottle!
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11/5/2011 - dead puddle wrote: 94 Points
Blind tasted. temperature 14'C.
Black color with turning borders: should be 10 years old approximately.
Nose noble, not a hint of make up, just character : association of light leather, sap, black pepper and black ink.
Mouth very classy, medium bodied but perfect balance between, dark fruit and flowers, burned flavors and smooth tannins: roasted Costa Rica coffee, black tulip, with black pepper and dusty finish.
Amazing for everybody, hyper well made wine in an average year, could be a Barrolo to, but Bordeaux right bank 1999 is the best answer I could give.
If this wine was a human it would be the queen of the Masai fron Kenya.
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6/19/2011 - Racer117 wrote: 89 Points
From magnum with only 15 minutes of air time. A nice standard BDX nose, but there's something to be said about that. So many Napa based wines would love to be able to mimic that. Very juicy body but a bit hollow mid-palate. Overall a touch vegetal but tasty and balanced. Was consumed without food but I'm sure this would show much better. Much thanks for sharing this Randy!
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12/26/2010 - jonradus wrote: 94 Points
I drank this after a bottle of '01 Cos. The '97 blew the '01 away. The color is faded brick on the edges. The nose is classic Cos with leather, cassis, and tobacco. The taste is multi-dimensional with layers of primary fruit wrapped in secondary flavors of saddle, cigar, and cedar. The finish has high acidity for being 13 years old and lasts for about 20-30 seconds. This wine can go for another 10 years, but I feel like I hit it at its peak.
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12/4/2010 - ckinv368 wrote:
Tons of spice and ginger, with some peppercorn on the nose. Toasted and leathery on the palate. Delicious effort.
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12/4/2010 - floydtp wrote: 92 Points
Short 1 hour decant and split among 6 people. Paired with roasted lamb and wild rice. Nose of black pepper, briar patch and cassis. Taste matched the nose very closely with a medium finish. Interesting how consistent this wine was from nose through palette and finish. Despite the CT drinking window, this one seems to have at least a few more years of life left.
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10/30/2010 - klino wrote: 91 Points
Nice, fairly easy-to-drink Bordeaux. Didn't need a lot of air, and had a lovely bouquet straight away. Aroma of concentrated Blackcurrant, mint, tobacco and especially green pepper. I would rank the aroma alone 95 pts. The taste was a bit more simple, but still nice. Acidic, but not overly so, and hints of tobacco and bright berries. Will keep my last bottle for 2 more years.
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10/14/2010 - AdrianK wrote: 96 Points
Amazing bottle of wine. Very dark, almost plasma. Very fine example of a St. Estephe (maybe the finest). Drinking well at this time. The nose and aroma are just perfection.
I had tastes of blackcurrents, spices and pepper...
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8/23/2010 - vollis wrote: 90 Points
Ruby (dark) with brick-colour around the edges. Nose: backcurrant, mint, herbal, pencil lead, leather. Palate: Delicate, relatively high acidity, tannins well integrated. Blackcurrant, mint, herbs. Medium long.
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8/14/2010 - RISM Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ruby turning dark brick at edges, medium-fast legs. Beautiful nose of mint, blackberries, cherries and a hint of chocolate. Predominantly Cab, (despite 45% merlot). Ripe fruit, well-integrated tannins. Elegant, if not sophisticated, but knocks spots off the '97 Mouton Rothschild. I fell in love with Cos when I drank a '53 in Dec 2003, with my brother on his 50th birthday, and the love affair continues. Full-bodied, juicy texture, finish not the longest, but a great drink nonetheles. Now to 2012.
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8/7/2010 - ADellar Likes this wine: 92 Points
The wine looks Tawny colored.
It smells like Forest floor, Cedar, Meaty, Lead Pencil, and Tobacco.
It tastes like and Cedar.
The body is Medium/Full.
The wine is textured Polished.
The wine finishes Medium.
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7/28/2010 - ssimpsonjr Likes this wine: 90 Points
It's not often that I have a Bordeaux with some age on it. This did not disappoint. Nice plum aromas that were affirmed on the initial taste. Eventually this faded to a slight oak and slight spice. There was still some fine granularity in the finish. I don't have any significant experience with aged Bordeaux, but IMHO this wine does not have much time left. Perhaps through 2011.
Had at The Palace in The Cincinnatian Hotel on a business trip. Great service and a great meal including a braised pork shank that just melted off the bone and into my mouth.
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7/18/2010 - moreplease wrote: 88 Points
This was one of the last bottles from the 4 cases we bought for our wedding in 2004. A little light on the nose compared with more illustrious vintages but on the palate it is unmistakably Cos. Still drinking well.
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4/30/2010 - englishman's claret wrote:
Drunk from a half bottle that's been well stored, base neck fill. Popped and poured.
Beautiful garnet robe, brick disc. The nose is the most important component of a wine for me, and I love this one. I really like being able to smell the bouquet while I'm decanting - always a good sign in my book! Intoxicating lead pencil, leather, brambly crushed fruits mix with just the right amount of barnyard; there's some spice and smoke in here too (but the good kind). Beautiful, diaphanous nose that is classically Bordeaux and reminds me of why I drink wine. The nose is just so beautiful.
It took me a while to get around to the palate, which is a lot simpler than the nose. Here it's the pencil lead and a really nice plum note that take the fore, with an oaky finish to follow. Medium in body, acidity balanced well, medium-high gritty tannins. With some air, nice notes of tobacco but this is drinking well as soon as the cork is popped. I wouldn't decant too long.
Perhaps a bit wanting in concentration, but then again I don't care all that much given how nice this nose is. Personally, I think this has got some time yet. Perhaps another 5 years at this level, but there's really no reason not to go for this one right now. Makes sense that this is a '97 given the ever-so-slightly dilute palate, but what a wonderful showing for Cos in terms of qpr. QPR aside, I really like this. Reminds me of some of the classics that got me started on this whole thing...
4/5
With air, pencil shavings and nice cigar. But really - this is one to pop and pour. Decant for sediment, serve immediately. Best in the first 30 minutes.
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4/3/2010 - Ct Bordeaux wrote: 92 Points
This has evolved into an elegant, seamless wine, with tobacco, damp earth and cedar notes. There is little acidity in the mid-palate, so I expect that it will hold its balance for only a couple of years. Right now, however, its a beautiful wine.
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1/16/2010 - pjaines wrote:
Yowza! Picked this little chap up for £30 in a sale at the local wine shop and I have to say it is rocking right now. Wonderful nose of tobacco leaf, balsamic, damp soil, cedar - very complex and mature. Nice whack of menthol coming through as well. In the mouth it is much better than I was expecting for a 1997 - sweetness there, but backed up with a nice grippy tannic backbone that is not shouting out over the fruit but rather working with it to deliver up a nice complete semi-mature St Estephe. Lacks real punch in the mid-palate but this is more of a vintage issue - the more I drink these 97's the more I am liking them right now. This has a few years on it but there is nice tension right now between the acidity, tannins and fruit
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12/25/2009 - noppakit s. wrote: 91 Points
I love Cos 1996 and 2005 but 1997 is my favorite. ( 4th testing )
It's good and easy delicious.
That's enough.
Drink 2011 - 2022.........................91+/100.....................................
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12/25/2009 - astroman wrote:
Tabacco, earth and good freshness.... Palate slightly light with tannins mostly resolved. Some fruits still left. Drink it soon..
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12/23/2009 - paul canet wrote: 90 Points
Oeil: le pourtour est orangé mais le vin démontre qu'une minime évolution, c'est quand même opaque dans le verre. le vin fut carafé au moins une bonne heure et demi.
Nez : Quand même expressif sur des notes de gazons, cuir ainsi que de tabac
En bouche, on dénote la mine de crayon, la terre humide, les champignons. Le vin vin est très bien balancé, les tannins étaient bien intégrés.
Le vin a été bu entre le Château tour du Sème 2000 et Pavie-Macquin 1997
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11/26/2009 - twebst wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for 30 min. before tasting. Color and clarity were perfect. Aroma was spot on with appropriate fruit and berry notes.
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11/5/2009 - MindMuse wrote: 90 Points
Medium dense brick ruby. Decanted about 30 minutes before first glass, with good profit for the nose. Initially cassis, with pencil lead, and with some nice fresh tilled black soil and dried mushroom. After a bit seemed to pick up some red fruits. Much later moved back toward a plum/prune aroma. There is also a lifted sweet spice element. Body is quite silky. Mixed berries with a dusting of spice. Tannins nearly gone. There isn't a lot of complexity and not much power, but it is remarkably smooth and balanced.
I don't see any upside for longer aging, but it seems like it will hold in for a while longer. Seemed to oscillate between an 89 to 90 for me. Since it was hanging in pretty well day two I'll give it the 90.
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8/26/2009 - winenuts wrote: 90 Points
Vertical with 1996 on the same evening. 97 open much faster than 96, when open taste like a juicy not like a wine, not mouth feeling and after taste, but the nose is good, leather and earth. After put into the decanter and stay for about 30 minutes, the wine change much better, the Cos's feel coming back, but the finishing is short.
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8/26/2009 - aagrawal wrote:
Decanted for 2.5 hrs, drank over 2.5 hrs. Fantastic nose with bell peppers and spice. Very smooth palate. Tannins were unobtrusive from age and decanting.
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7/9/2009 - Goldstone wrote: 89 Points
Cos d'Estournel Wine Dinner with Valentine Labarthe (The Pawn, Hong Kong): Deep red/purple colour, slightly translucent. Wow..... classic Cos nose that is absolutely stunning and surprisingly mature. Good fruity and chalky palate but thin and obviously from a wet year. Dry tannins are almost fully resolved on the back end. Pleasant but not one to keep.
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4/30/2009 - jono9999 wrote: 85 Points
Oregano or tobacco on the nose, soft and light on the first pour from the cellar, tannins gone. Bell pepper up front, raspberry/sour cherry on the medium long finish. A bit blandish but nice.
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4/18/2009 - Dids wrote: 89 Points
Blackberry, chocolate, touch of herbs and lead pencil developing on the nose. Blackberry again with a touch of lead pencil on entry. Fruits do get a wee touch more concentrated a touch of cassis towards the end. Tannins almost non existant initially, though good structure. They do start to encroach towards the end.
An honest wine with no great concentration or intensity. But I feel with 5-10 years left in it. (89)
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4/17/2009 - Lucky96 wrote: 93 Points
Earthy, old leather tasting wine. Very comforting and round in the mouth. Thoroughly enjoyable and easy. About as good as this wine will get, I think. Drink up!!
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3/21/2009 - PC73 Likes this wine: 80 Points
The wine took at least 4 hrs to open up.
This is well below Cos quality in other vintages i had.
Nose gave notes of wood, mushroom, hint of strawberry.
Fruit was not obvious on the palate, although wine was rounded.
Not great - buy one bottle of the 96 rather than 2 of the 97.
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2/21/2009 - KeyMaster wrote: 90 Points
Excellent, notes de sous-bois, truffles.
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1/31/2009 - zimmy07 wrote: 91 Points
sweet red fruits with a great balance and backbone. Obviously well stored as it was still young and somewhat tight. Very silky wine, somewhat one dimensional, but good
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12/25/2008 - jono9999 wrote: 98 Points
Sweet nose - fruit and vegetables, but totally dry. First taste was soft and supple, with the tannins nearly gone, primarily leather with very, very light fruit (sour cherry or plum); the fruit is more apparent on the long finish.
After about 30 minutes, the wine develops to be even softer, with a hint of chocolate.
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2/27/2008 - Cortona5 wrote: 88 Points
Light tannins but still alot of fruit. Drink now..not getting any better but enjoyable
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1/3/2008 - John Nezlek wrote: 92 Points
I realize that there are a of doubts about '97 Bordeaux. So far, I have had no problems (this is second or third wine of the vintage I have had). The bottle is a classic Cos in many ways. The tannins are present, but very well-balanced and in check. The wine has taste and some depth, but it is not fruity by any stretch of the imagination. We let this sit for about 90 minutes before we drank it over the course of a prime rib dinner. It opened up (or evolved because it was fine at first) over the course of the meal. I will let the next one sit for 3 hours or so just to see the difference. Very pleasant.
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12/2/2007 - Jdog wrote: 91 Points
Dinner out with Lurdan and Mrs. D. A lovely Cos in a lighter style. Ready to drink with a half hour of breathing, this wine exhibits a classic nose of barnyard and cassis. What follows is a charming, open-knit wine with plenty of peppery, dark fruit and loads of casis, as well as a hint of lead pencil. Despite its 45% Merlot content, the wonderful chocolate notes found in other underrated Cos, such as the 1988, are absent and the Cabernet component is completely dominant. Tannins are fully integrated and quite refined. The wine neither improved nor declined over the 2 hours, suggesting another several years of enjoyment, but no pay off from additional cellaring. Certainly not a blockbuster, this is beautiful claret representing a good value if purchased for $50 or less.
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11/27/2007 - Grinner wrote: 90 Points
Very obvious in a blind tasting of 25 Cal Cabs from same year. Slightly green tinge to the earthy (borderline barnyard), cigar box, and red/black fruit. 87 on day 2.
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10/17/2007 - Vino Me wrote: 91 Points
This was opened by a friend over the weekend in Michigan next to the 1997 Lafite Rothschild at their anniversary dinner. The cepage of this wine is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Merlot. 1997 was a poor year in Bordeaux but this wine showed some character. It was a far cry from the quality of either the 1996 or 2000 Cos d'Estournel's that I have had in the last 5 years. We decanted this wine for 3 hours before dinner. It was moderately sedimented. A lot of character on the nose with pencil shavings, charcoal and forest floor aromas. This was medium bodied with integrated tannins. Notes of dried mushrooms, black fruit and roses. The finish was shorter than I expected. 90-91 points.
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8/31/2007 - peebal wrote: 90 Points
had this with my dad for his 70th (yup, we had a few--what's the point of having a cellar otherwise). A very solid wine. I suspect others, including my dad, would have given this a 91-2. I'm just not a big claret fan. This had a bold nose of sandlewood and mint though a bit monolithic to my taste (nose). Flavors were round, graphite, mint, cassis, leather. The usual suspects that make good bordeaux. Just not the liveliness and acidity (ok, pretty much the same thing) that I hope for from a (food) wine. A great deal (24 bucks) and a wine to make bordeaux fans (hi dad) happy, but leaves me a little cold. If you are one of those fans, you'll like this wine and it should continue to hold (maybe even improve) for the next 5-10 years.
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6/27/2007 - kevin h wrote: flawed
Corked.
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6/17/2007 - Rob MacKay wrote: 92 Points
Splash decanted and into the glasses. Wonderful earthy, stockyard notes on the nose. The color had maybe just a tinge of fading at the edges but no real obvious signs of age. Flavors were fantastic and layered with a nice long finish. We opened a 98 Cos right after this one and it was not even in the same league.
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6/12/2007 - noppakit s. wrote: 89 Points
I always love older wine but Cos 1997 when compare with 1993, every single of its texture is clearly better. This is a good example of original Cos. Nose of clean mud, elegance, very typical style. Nice acid and balance, nice aftertaste too.
1990,1995 are very heavy, I feel uncomfortable with them...1996 is recommended...
For the smaller budget...1997 is the one and the only !!! ( 89++/100 )
Drink it now - 2015...2017...the old fine wine...
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5/19/2007 - ronnieroots wrote: 91 Points
Lovely open nose, with cedar, pencil shavings, tobacco and some warm fruit. Medium bodied with lovely fruit and spices. Round and supple, no noticable tannins left. Peak drinking.
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4/1/2007 - balassis wrote: 92 Points
My friend Vassilis Papadopoulos brought this bottle at home. Deep ruby color with some hues of onion skin color to the edges. Attractive nose with hints of dust, tobacco, leather, fresh walnut, plum, wood and gentle oaky vanilla. Medium - bodied with well integrated tannins and a velvety finish (about 30 sec). Ready to drink now, but with a good ageing potential for the next 5 or 6 years.
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3/1/2007 - AndrewSGHall wrote:
Just an evening to compare some juice w/ friends: Nicely balanced between mature -which will not compliment this wine - and youthful temperament. Good acids layered on red fruit. A shadow of Cos distinctiveness. Enjoyable, played well with steak.
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1/7/2007 - pfrichar wrote: 86 Points
Not much maide this bottle memorable.
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12/25/2006 - catleaper wrote: 92 Points
Deep flavor, complex, delightful. Definitely ready to drink. Served at Bailey's Christmas Eve Dinner 2006.
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9/17/2006 - sbeeks wrote:
Donated to 2006 Curtis Fair
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8/29/2006 - WST wrote: 88 Points
Nice, but I didn't enjoy this as much as the previous bottle. Fruit fading to leather and graphite; dusty tannins. I like BSherwin's description "Solid if unspectacular."
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6/12/2006 - D. Fulton wrote: 87 Points
Young but austere. Slightly green and woody on the nose. Notes of graphite and green wood show on the palate. Tasted blind.
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6/12/2006 - bsherwin wrote:
Pretty nice. Bretty nose blew off after a bit and left some nice fruit. Lean and light bodied, there was abundant cedar with some herb notes. I expected less from this vintage. Solid if unspectacular.
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3/27/2006 - WST wrote: 91 Points
Nothing wrong here. Complex nose with notes of leather, pencil lead, old books (not TCA). Robust attack with tempered mid-palate and finish. Classic bordeaux dusty tannins. Probably catching this at peak maturity. Ratings be damned; I could drink this every night.
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9/17/2005 - DrDave wrote: 89 Points
This was my third bottle of this since release. Starting to develop a bit. Not as tight or tart as the first two. This time reeking of cedar. The fruit here now is 100% cassis and the dominant flavor is cedar. There is a somewhat weedy bitterness on the finish. Unmistakeably cabernet dominated despite the 45% merlot in the mix. Not a great vintage obviously but a decent effort. I actually prefer the 96 Pagodes de Cos which is a at least a 90/100.
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10/19/2004 - MRichman wrote:
David Wainwright's Cos Vertical, 1985 Horizontal (Le Cirque): Light, herbal claret. Nice but not very powerful. Good not great complexity. Olive. Thinnish.
C++
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10/16/2004 - MRichman wrote:
Off Vintage Bordeaux (NYC): Soft fruit with hard tannins. Good fruit. Dark intense blackberry fruit.
B-
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2/6/2004 - PaulH wrote: 87 Points
Big nose of tobacco and pepper with the signature St. Estephe dusty tannins. Purple/red color looking much younger than the Pichon Lalande and Leoville Barton it was (single-blind) tasted with. Medium to full body, but a bit hollow on the mid palate. Good, long tannin-dusted finish. Although all the pieces are here, it had little charm and wasn't much fun to drink. Of the three, this has the best potential to last. But will it improve? (Dinner at Fringale; picked this one out correctly). (Rating includes potential to age: otherwise it would be lower).
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10/10/2003 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 82 Points
Still quite a youthful appearance. Open earthy hedgerow nose with concentrated fruit behind. Soft. Good fruit. Decent structure. Tannins are slow to show themselves but they appear on the finish, with a touch of spice. Interesting structure. Slightly raw flavour on finish and after, and a bit short. Good (just)
60% Cabernet; 40% Merlot
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10/31/2000 - Double-A Likes this wine:
Dark, opaque ruby colour. Aromatic, spicy cassis, cedar, dark chocolate and pepper nose. Medium-full bodied with rich fruit and firm, spicy, but approachable tannins; balanced acid; good length. Now-2010
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