Cos d'Estournel vertical (1916-2017)

[greatbxfreak]

I participated on Friday, the 17th June 2022 in a big vertical of this 2nd Growth in Copenhagen. We were 13 people.

The wine menu was like that:

Grand Vin - 1916-1926-1952-1953-1955-1973-1976-1977-1981-1982-1985-1986-1988-1995-1996-1998-2002-2006-2009-2011-2012-2014-2015-2017

Pagodes de Cos - 2009

white Cos d.Estournel - 2009-2013-2018

[AKR]

Pretty cool! Generalizing, how would you assess Pagodes vs it. big brother? I have never had them side by side.

[Comte Flaneur]

We are doing a lot of verticals. Look forward to your notes Izak.

[greatbxfreak]

It was a very interesting vertical because we tasted many unheralded vintages, which actually could be doomed to be much on the way down, uninteresting, or you name it. It wasn’t the case for all, and there were some genuine surprises.

Out of 24 vintages of Cos on the menu that evening, I have never before tasted 11 of these. They were: 2012, 1998, 1996, 1995, 1988, 1982, 1981, 1977, 1973, 1926 and 1916. The “missing” vintages significantly extended my knowledge of Cos and my understanding of this property’s style. The mix of power and elegance that Cos d''Estournel has is just thrilling! This 2nd CC from St. Estephe is one of Bordeaux classiest and terroir-driven wines.

The white Cos, vintages 2013 and 2018 were purchased at the chateau, and the other wines were bought at different auctions/wine shops.

We tasted wines blind, knew which vintages we should taste but not in which order. We had no idea other wines would be served (1926 Cos, 1996 Cos and 2009 Pagodes) and dark horse, 2005 Calon Segur.


Here are all TNs. Please do not copy these and publish them on other websites/blogs, thank you.

Flight 1.

White Cos d’Estournel. We tasted 2009, 2013 and 2018. Imho, 2009 and 2013 were on pair with freshness, finesse, aromatic white flowers, crispiness, splendid acidity and lingering aftertaste. 93p for both. 2018 was lighter and more elegant than 2009 and 2013, with less marked acidity and shorter aftertaste. 91p.

Flight 2.

Cos d’Estournel 1995 and 2002. 1995 – I’m not convinced that this vintage was splendid on both Left and Right Bank. Merlot ripened, in my opinion, better than Cabernet Sauvignon. Cos in this vintage displayed some peppery notes and a slight lack of ripeness. Edgy, firm and stern. Maybe it will soften at some point in its life. 90p.

2002 – you can easily say it was a Cabernet Sauvignon vintage as Merlot had great difficulty reaching good ripeness because of challenging weather. Anyway, Cos managed to make a wine of satisfactory quality, displaying well the typicity of Cabernet Sauvignon. Leather, cedar wood, forest floor, mineral, strong backbone and structure, sappy, long and persistent finish. Has a long life ahead. 93p.

Flight 3

Cos d’Estournel 1977 and 1973. 1977 – I didn’t expect this wine to be that lovely at all, thinking of all the weather problems this vintage experienced. A sensual nose of ripe(!) blackcurrants, fine acidity, tasty, complex, lovely finish. It’s nice to drink now and for 3-5 more years. 88p.

1973 – another surprise. Cold and rainy summer and rain during the harvest didn’t promise good things for the vintage, but I’ve to say Cos made quite a fine wine. Aromatic and delicate, gentle tannin, milky (yoghurt) on the palate, vibrant with lovely complexity. 89p.

Flight 4.

Cos d’Estournel 1988 and 1982. 1988 – better vintage on Right Bank than on the Left because of Merlot ripening perfectly. Wines on the Left Bank suffered a little from Cabernets not reaching perfect maturity. Cos made much more than solid wine. Very Cabernet Sauvignon with tobacco/cigar box, wet earth, cassis and black truffle. Powerful, strong backbone, vibrant, splendid complexity and long aftertaste. It’s classic St. Estephe wine for long-term cellaring. 94p.

1982 – one of the best vintages in Bordeaux’s history and one that, after 40 years, still keeps its fine ingredients intact. Cos was a peach of wine with gorgeously intense Cabernet Sauvignon displaying leather, cedar and tobacco leaf. Plenty of creamy blackcurrants and grained tannin plus sweetness. Vibrant, refined and sophisticated. In full blossom. Can live forever! 98p.

Flight 5.

Cos d’Estournel 2009 and Pagodes de Cos 2009. 2009 – this is an excellent vintage for Cos. Intense and aromatic nose of black fruit with the scent of yoghurt, distinguished and classy. Luscious blackcurrants, grained tannin, great acidity, highly complex and very long on the palate. Silky with great elegance. Absolutely nothing to complain about here. Perfect modern Bordeaux with great style. One to enjoy over many years to come. 98+p. My WOTN, but it was strongly challenged by 1982 and 2015 Cos!

The second wine of Cos, Pagodes, from the same vintage but magnum, mirrored the Grand Vin quite well. Of course, it had not the same intensity, depth and length as Grand Vin, but it offered large quantities of delicacy, silky texture and seductive fruit. 92p.

Flight 6.

Cos d’Estournel 1976 and 1981. 1976 - a hot and humid vintage in Bordeaux. Cos seemed not to be affected by that and displayed some fine things. Cabernet Sauvignon had flavours of crushed rocks, tobacco leaves and grilled bacon, lively, lovely complexity and structure. Persistent aftertaste. A lot of great pleasure here. 94p.

1981 – this vintage looked sensational before harvest, and wine people in Bordeaux expected a repeat of 1961. Unfortunately, it rained a lot during the entire harvest. However, several properties managed in some way to produce splendid wines, and Cos was one of them. Powerful with a strong backbone, mineral, great structure, delicate balance, complexity and length, and long finish. It can easily keep for 10-15 more years. 93p.

Flight 7.

Cos d’Estournel 1985 and 1986. 1985 – my first Bordeaux vintage to be experienced live on-site in September 1985. Perfect sunny weather through the harvest. Despite huge yields, the wines from this vintage have kept extremely well. It was called a feminine vintage by several wine critics, but it’s not entirely correct, imho. Cos expressed the grace, elegance and sweetness of this vintage beautifully. Roasted bacon, milky, black winter truffles, sensual, great acidity, bright complexity, sophisticated touch and long lingering aftertaste. I had a slightly better example of this wine in 2015, but no complaints here! 96p.

1986 – after a solar 1985, it returned to a more classic Bordeaux style in 1986. Cos was a traditional St.Estephe wine with a lot to offer. Full-bodied, big fruit intensity, Cabernet Sauvignon in full blossom, great structure and midpalate. Vibrant. Long meaty finish. Many years to go. 95p.

Flight 8.

Cos d’Estournel 1996 (magnum) and 2006. 1996 – from a magnum bottle. You can compare it to other vintages ending with the “6” digit, but the fruit ripeness is better here than in 2006, and perhaps the complexity is slightly more significant here than in 1986. To be drunk by your children when they reach the right drinking age. 95p.

2006 – damp and humid weather conditions in Bordeaux. Cabernet Sauvignon came through these in a much better way than Merlot. Cos is the typical Cabernet Sauvignon wine with power, strong backbone, minerality, acidity, vibrancy, big tannin and meaty finish. It’s still very youthful and needs a couple of decades to mature. 94p.
Flight 9.

Calon Segur 2005 magnum (dark horse) and Cos d’Estournel 2015. I think that Calon Segur 2005 put some “clothes” of Cos on during this vertical! Potent, plenty of sweet and fragrant blackcurrants, bright acidity, lush tannin and persistent aftertaste. 92p.
2015 – very aromatic on the nose with fully ripe blackcurrants, creamy and luscious on the palate with fat and ripe tannin. Juicy and lively. A considerable amount of oak was kept quiet by plenty of flashy fruit. Great complexity, splendid structure and a long meaty finish. This wine will surely gain even more complexity in the coming years. Mesmerising wine. 98p.

Flight 10.

Cos d’Estournel 1953 and 1955. 1953 – Danish bottling. I’d tasted this vintage before, in September 2015, and it was also a Danish bottling. The difference between these two bottles was that the bottle I tasted in 2015 had always stayed in the cold cellar of the Danish wine merchant since release. The one we tasted during vertical in June 2022 had probably travelled worldwide because it tasted pretty old. Sappy and still alive, but the fruit was somewhat mushroomy, and tannin was in the process of drying out. 86p.

1955 – Bordeaux bottling. It was similar to 1953, with little fruit left, dry-out tannin and champignon taste. 85p.

Flight 11.

Cos d’Estournel 1926 and 1916. 1926 – Bordeaux bottling. Sappy with nice acidity, lively, tasty, nicely balanced and with a delicate finish. Still alive and a pleasant one to taste. 91p.

1916 – Danish bottling. Made during First World War by women as male workers were sent to the front. Keeping well for a 106-year-old wine, a bit mushroomy but otherwise pleasant, round and soft. 89p.

Flight 12.

Cos d’Estournel 1998 and 1952. 1998 – this vintage in Bordeaux was warm and incredibly successful at Right Bank, with many magical wines produced. Left Bank wines hadn’t been largely successful. But Cos contradicted this postulate and was a badass wine. Intense on the nose and palate with creamy blackcurrants, mineral, delicate acidity, sweet tannins and great complexity. Vibrant and lovely structure. Long lingering finish. 96p.

1952- Bordeaux bottling. I strongly suspected that the 1950s in the vertical came from the same cellar. Why? Because this particular vintage tasted similar past its peak compared with 1955 and 1952. 86p.

Flight 13.

Cos d’Estournel 2014 and 2011. 2014 – a Bordeaux vintage marked by excellent acidity and almost perfectly ripe fruit and tannin. Cos fitted perfectly in that description. Firm, tight, and plenty of fruit and tannin. Strong backbone, vibrant, great acidity, impressive structure and depth and long persistent finish. Classic as it can be. Long-time keeper. It was btw the year of the arrival of new technical director Aymeric de Gironde, who replaced Guillaume Prats. 96p.

2011 – unstable weather conditions in 2011 didn’t allow winemakers in Bordeaux to accomplish great things. No full ripeness of the grapes and tannins. Cos made a pretty nice wine anyway. The exciting thing was that Jean-Guillaume Prats, manager of Cos, didn’t overdo and over-extract this wine as he did to some extent with 2010. This wine was powerful and had rough edges and rusticity. Very Cabernet Sauvignon. I think it needs time to soften and reveal its qualities because the potential is there. 92p for now.

Flight 14.

Cos d’Estournel 2017 and 2012. 2017 – this wine had a specific flavour while tasted. It had a milky or yoghurt flavour on the nose, which I often find tasting Cos. It comes from the soil. Tight, strong and well-balanced, aromatic, great acidity, vibrant. Tobacco leaf and cigar box. Magnificent structure and depth. Long and persistent aftertaste. Grace and power at the same time. 96p.

2012 – this Bordeaux vintage offered many beautiful, tasty, and immensely attractive wines. They may not have the structure, complexity and length of the famous vintages like 2010, 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019, but they are an extremely affordable and excellent choice at restaurants. Furthermore, 2012 can now be enjoyed while you wait for the big vintages. Cos was just like that, juicy, luscious and had a caressing finish. 93p.

[Musigny 151]

Interesting notes. I am not going to comment generally because I know how diametrically opposed our palates are.
I will if I may make a couple of observations. Of all the super seconds, the one that gives me least signature is Cos. As something I value highly, it is the reason why I put it as my least favorite; that being being said, the wines are indeed well made.

But not the 2009. It is a love it or hate it wine, and obviously you love and I hate. The heat of the vintage and the extraction and oxygenation in the cellar made for me a completely anonymous and very unbalanced wine. If someone told me it was a big Napa cab, I would have nodded my head and said “of course.” Tasted it three times now with consistent notes.

[greatbxfreak]

Musigny 151,

Fair enough with your experiences concerning 2009.

But 40 years old 1982 - what a wine!

[JimHow]

Wow, great report, GBF, thanks! I’m glad I have 7 bottles of the 2014 Cos in my cellar.

[robert goulet]

Wow...that is a grand tasting, well done.

My favorite Cos to date is '96....tasted blind a few years back, it was firing on all cylinders.

[AlexR]

Hi Izak,

Thanks for your detailed notes.

I think that there was a time when Cos was as bit too big and overwheming, but they have toned it down.

I have a couple of bottles of 2000 and must open one up soon.

All the best,
Alex

[JCNorthway]

JimHow, was it 2009 Cos that you opened blind at the last DC convention, and many thought it might be a Cali Cab?

[JimHow]

Indeed, JC. I personally liked it a lot, it evolved significantly during the course of the evening.

[JCNorthway]

I recall I did not think it to be a classic Bordeaux, but I did find it to be quite a nice wine . . . .

[JoelD]

JimHow, was it 2009 Cos that you opened blind at the last DC convention, and many thought it might be a Cali Cab?

It was the 2010 at the 2021 convention wasn't it? It did indeed taste like a cali cab, although it showed a bit of the Bordeaux terroir on the backend for me.

Great report Izak. I had the pleasure of trying the 79, 82, 85 recently and all were very good to great. Hard to pick a favorite. I think the 82 hit the highest highs but faded after a couple hours open. Whereas the 85 was structured and beautiful from start to finish. The 79 was not far off from either of them.

[JimHow]

I think you are right, Joel, I think it was the 2010. A, um, “big” effort.

[greatbxfreak]

My experience with 2010 Cos. Maybe it tastes differently today. I think Jean-Guillaume Prats waited too long with harvest and overdid maceration time.

Tasted in May 2013. Black fruit en masse and alcohol (cherry vodka) are very evident on the nose and palate, compelling wine with fat fruit and tannin. The fruit is on the border of over-ripeness, and this wine is hugely massive and imho not typical of Bordeaux. Close to Napa Valley style. Either you like it, or you hate it. I've to be neutral here and can't abstract from the fact that this is a high-quality wine.

I don't think 2009 is a twin brother of 2010 despite the fact they both share an alcohol level of 14.5%. Furthermore, the 2009 Cos tasted during this vertical in June didn't show an excess of alcohol; on the contrary, alcohol was discreetly hidden.

[Musigny 151]

FWIW, I thought the 2010 was a major improvement over 2009. It still showed Prats winemaking ethos, but not to the extreme of of 2009.

A funny story. Prats had obviously read John Gilman’s scathing review of the 2009 ( “A train wreck; and the score 58-62?) and asked him if he really wanted to taste the 2010, as he didn’t want to cause him unnecessary pain. I seem to recall John giving it a low nineties score.

[Claudius2]

Izak
Great notes as usual and we do not have to always agree on every wine or vintage.

One of the best tastings I’ve done was a vertical with Bruno Prats twenty years ago. The wines were from 1970 to 2000 - the last being unlabelled.

One characteristic I kept getting was a milk chocolate character meshed with typical cedar, dark fruit and tobacco, but I think what you called milky flavours I picked up as milk chocolate.

I have not tasted any recent vintage of Cos lately - the youngest was 2004, and the oldest 1978. The latter was at a pre-auction tasting and still showed well - and most of the wines at that event were a disaster.

My fav at the above tasting was the 86 just ahead of 82, 90 and 85 though I really liked the 88 as well. The 90s wines were at the time too young to fully appreciate but were promising. I bought a case of 86 at auction the following week which has since all gone.

Cheers
Mark

[JoelD]

A funny story. Prats had obviously read John Gilman’s scathing review of the 2009 ( “A train wreck; and the score 58-62?) and asked him if he really wanted to taste the 2010, as he didn’t want to cause him unnecessary pain. I seem to recall John giving it a low nineties score.

That is really funny. Great that he seemed to have a sense of humor about it.

[greatbxfreak]

I can certify that 2009 wasn't a shipwreck, and I was not alone with my accolade as WOTN. 2009 is like a luxurious yacht.

Gilman is a provocateur, and I don't trust his TNs.

[marcs]

I think you are right, Joel, I think it was the 2010. A, um, “big” effort.

It was the 2010. It wasn't flamboyantly awful or anything but I thought it was a mediocre wine given the price and assumed quality level -- ponderous, heavy, kind of alcoholic, and one-note.

[JoelD]

I think you are right, Joel, I think it was the 2010. A, um, “big” effort.

It was the 2010. It wasn't flamboyantly awful or anything but I thought it was a mediocre wine given the price and assumed quality level -- ponderous, heavy, kind of alcoholic, and one-note.

But it was better than the 2015 VCC at the Thursday dinner!

[Musigny 151]

I can certify that 2009 wasn't a shipwreck, and I was not alone with my accolade as WOTN. 2009 is like a luxurious yacht.

Gilman is a provocateur, and I don't trust his TNs.

The 2009 is like this- a matter of taste.
https://www.europeanwatch.com/watch/Rol ... 42646.html

As for your throwaway comment about Gilman, I will only say that it shows the same lamentable lack of taste.

[Claudius2]

Guys
I have written about the overly alcoholic Australian wines with some dismay since this forum started to the point where a few Australian writers - who I used to taste with - thought I was too negative about the style. Well they are both correct and incorrect depending on your individual taste.

So in this case I have not tried the wine but I checked Cellartracker and with 85 reviews, the average score was a very high 95.6 points.

Now I don’t always agree with CT and that is okay but my point is that there is clearly a big majority of tasters who like this wine and it’s popularity cannot be simply put down to individual tastes when N=85. Whether you love it or hate it there is little doubt it has commercial appeal and among tasters who don’t don’t drink Two Buck Chuck.

I am going to hunt this at auction as I’m now intrigued if not a bit surprised.

Cheers
Mark

[Musigny 151]

Mark,
I definitely think you should taste it, as it really is a love/hate wine.

I also really feel it depends on what you are looking for in a wine. For me, it is vulgar and anonymous with none of the nuance, finesse, complexity, elegance and terroir, I would expect from a good let alone great Bordeaux. It is also alcoholic, the tannins are fierce and there was a slight sweetness to it. I will say that in a strange way it was balanced, but two standard deviations from where it should be.

[jckba]

I think you are right, Joel, I think it was the 2010. A, um, “big” effort.

It was the 2010. It wasn't flamboyantly awful or anything but I thought it was a mediocre wine given the price and assumed quality level -- ponderous, heavy, kind of alcoholic, and one-note.

This is my worst fear when it comes to modern styled Bdx.