TN: 96 Montrose & Cos d'Estournel [St Estephe]

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AKR
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TN: 96 Montrose & Cos d'Estournel [St Estephe]

Post by AKR »

Dinner with BillP and our wives, starting with an Iberico charcuterie platter. These are the pigs that feed on acorns...very distinctive flavor. Everything other than the Sauternes had been cellared since release.

03 Grand Puy Lacoste [Pauillac] We thought more people were showing up so this was supposed to be a teaser to be served blind. Just popped and poured. I like it, it's ready to drink, doesn't have the great density of 1990. We reminisced about the 82 as well. Not on my list of things to replace as they get drunk down since I think the estate is overpriced nowadays. Anyways I'll let Bill comment more on this one since I wanted to get others views on it. It's a B or better for me.

We decanted the two St Estephe's to give them a little air, and get them off their minimal sediment. Dinner was a terrific rack of smoked meat, Gruyere sweet potato gratin, and green beans

96 Montrose [St Estephe] Takes a little while to open up, but then there's lots of forest, pine, earth here. It's very concentrated, and I found the tannin to be well resolved. It seems to have gotten better from the last time we've had it, although I don't think its yet at the level of the 1989. I doubt it could ever reach that peak anyways. Still its a top notch, superb St Estephe: masculine, a rich core of fruit, and balance. Solid A. No fading over the night, nor any bricking at the edges.

96 Cos d'Estournel [St Estephe] A little more open than the Montrose initially, and sexier. Has an exotic, sandalwood nose. Smooth well resolved palate, tannin and acid all in check, and as it breathes gets more cedar and pipe tobacco in the bouquet. It's not as earthy, not as St Estephey as the Montrose, but is still an excellent wine, with a wonderful palate persistence. Again, another solid A wine, not fading at all over the night, nor on the rims.

One can see how close the above two are to each other

Image

We had a Sauternes for dessert, along with cold mango mochi.

05 Rayne Vigneau [Sauternes] 13% abv, served chilled, medium gold, full bodied, fairly honeyed/glaceed texture, some cardamon on the nose. Like all Sauternes its far more delicious than any rating really captures. Doesn't have the bright verve that some great years/estates can offer. I'm guessing I've had this estate before, but for whatever reasons can't really recall any prior experience. This is more in the honeyed than crisp camp for sweet Bordeaux. It should hold for a long time. A-
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JimHow
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Re: TN: 96 Montrose & Cos d'Estournel [St Estephe]

Post by JimHow »

Have those 96s improved with age?
I remember the 96 Montrose being great young, and I think you were there in Boston that night Arv when Musigny(?) decanted the 96 Cos in his coffee pot. The wine was brilliant that night, inky black and really rich and powerful. A real "spice rack" of a wine.
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JimHow
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Re: TN: 96 Montrose & Cos d'Estournel [St Estephe]

Post by JimHow »

Sounds like yet another less than impressive effort for the 2003 GPL. I mean, what is GPL if it does not show density? What is any Pauillac if it does not show density?
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William P
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Re: TN: 96 Montrose & Cos d'Estournel [St Estephe]

Post by William P »

Fun night last night. Glenn had to cancel because of the Trans-Sierra commute was less than ideal.

2003 GPL. Certainly this is disappointing when compared to the 1982 GPl. Still, I thought is was a very enjoyable wine. It showed no signs of 2003 heat taint. In fact it was the opposite. It was a medium weight wine with decent concentration. It was bright and very approachable. As Arv indicated this is not a wine I would rush out to purchase, but it is the prefect wine to pop and pour for the next few years. You won't be embarrassed by it. The quintessential quaffer. On the Arv scale I'd agree with the B.

1996 Montrose. This wine came from my cellar and for the first hour plus I was concerned. It was like a porcupine, things were just out of place, nothing meshed. In the end, order was restored and this wine began to shine. Full body, good acidity, tannins present but not aggressive. Easily another 10 years before it plateaus. This is a dark wine, black fruit and earth. It's a beauty when it integrates. Score A.

1996 Cos d'Estrournel. The Cos started far easier than the Montrose. The nose was immediately open and floral just the opposite from the Montrose subdued dark impression. It was little less dense, yet it was showing its pedigree. Well balanced, on this night it was almost feminine compared to the dark Montrose. Far more enjoyable for most of the night than the Montrose which only began to shine towards the end of the evening. A strong bottle with many good years ahead. Score A

The 2005 RV was exquisite. Arv has this incredible ability to share these wonderfully stickies with me. Infused with honey or as some described it, burlee balanced by excellent acidity. A wonderful exclamation point to the evening. Strong A
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Nicklasss
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Re: TN: 96 Montrose & Cos d'Estournel [St Estephe]

Post by Nicklasss »

Nice wines and nice evening when you mix good company with that type of 96 St-Estèphe.

I like these two wines also, very strong example of the exçellent 1996 vintage. In 2014, I chearted and brought a 1996 Chateau Montrose to the non Bordeaux Friday night dinner... But no one made any complaints!

BWEers gathering are special and unique. Let see if the magic will be there next Friday in Québec City, when we'll have dinner with dstgolf, his wife and maybe the "rock star" look BD... I'll post a picture or two...

Nic
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AKR
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Re: TN: 96 Montrose & Cos d'Estournel [St Estephe]

Post by AKR »

I think the wines have developed nicely with age, rounding out, developing more complexity.

NM seems to think these will keep on ascending, but perhaps that is for his palate preference.

Age 20 seems like a good time to enjoy, unless one has some specific reason to keep holding them.
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