The 2019 en primeur campaign begins haltingly

AlexR · Post by **AlexR** » Thu May 28, 2020 6:44 am

It is so easy to criticize, to come onto the scene after the fact and tell others what they ought to have done – to be, as the French say, un inspecteur de travaux finis… This is very tempting with the 2019 en primeur campaign, which is navigating in uncharted waters and progressing in a way that is not always easy to understand. However, the corina virus pandemic has necessarily imposed a radical departure from past campaigns, and the powers-that-be in Bordeaux are reacting as well as they can.

There are three main dilemmas facing the 2019 vintage today.

The first involves the barrel tastings of the new vintage. For many years, these have taken place in late March/early April and have been a resounding success, like nothing else in the world of wine. Wine professionals from all over the world routinely attend. The problem this year is that the tastings had to be cancelled in extremis.
Château owners have decided to rebound as best they can. For instance, a mammoth tasting of the 2019s will be held in Bordeaux on the 5th of June for some 450 French négociants, brokers, and journalists. In addition, the Union des Grands Crus will host tastings in Paris, Brussels, Zurich, and Hong Kong (none planned so far in London or New York). The famous châteaux will welcome visiting professionals starting in June, but will be taking every precaution: social distancing, gloved staff, disinfection, groups limited to 8 people, etc.
This response is to be admired, and once again proves the resiliency of the Bordeaux wine trade. However, it is not without its problems and challenges.

The networking that is part and parcel of the en primeur tastings will be sorely missed. Foreign buyers travel to Bordeaux not just to taste hundreds of wines like robots. They also come to learn about the state of the market, as well as to meet producers, merchants, competitors, etc.
There is a technical aspect to this as well. What about wines sent abroad and the conditions under which they are tasted? Samples are refreshed every single day at the en primeur tastings in Bordeaux. But what about those in foreign capitals?
As opposed to group tastings organized by the Union des Grands Crus, individual châteaux are also sending a scattering of samples to clients and noted critics. If these arrive very shortly after shipment, there is, of course, no reason they cannot be professionally evaluated. However, the whole point of en primeur tastings is to compare wines! If four châteaux from, let’s say, Saint-Julien send samples, which arrive on different days and are tasted separately, an extremely important frame of reference has been eliminated. Results are biased. And if the four samples are kept back to be tasted together, they will not be in the same condition.
I agree with many of my friends in the wine business that it would have been a better idea to hold the tastings in Bordeaux in September rather than June in light of the many restrictions currently weighing on all events involving groups of people. In fact, it was earnestly hoped in some quarters that the en primeur tastings would “skip a year”, and take place in early 2021 (before bottling), thereby setting a precedent. The advantage here is that the wines would be much further along and therefore a much truer reflection of their ultimate quality.

The argument against this, of course, is that château owners have become used to pocketing payment in the spring following the vintage and that delaying this by months or, worse still, a full year, would constitute a huge handicap. Does this hold water? While many estates have to finance major investments, i.e. repay debts, it must be said that, by and large, the great growths are in a very sound financial situation – in fact, quite a priviliged one considering the plight of modest Bordeaux, in very dire straits indeed.
The second challenge facing the 2019 campaign is timing. If the tastings are being held this summer, when will the wines be marketed? September, before the harvest, seems a logical time, but no one can say for sure, which is understandable in light of the unprecedented circumstances. What is to be feared is a long, drawn-out campaign. Whether it be organizing tastings or putting wines out on the market, the Bordeaux industry has much to gain by joining forces and working together, coherently. Doing things piecemeal would only be harmful.
The third issue is, of course, pricing. We know for a fact that 2019 is a very good vintage. Detractors of Bordeaux mock such statements, and die-hard antagonists predict, for the umpteenth time, that the market will collapse, the bubble will burst, and that the elite wines of Bordeaux will be a thing of the past unless they drastically reduce their prices. We have regularly heard such forecasts through the years… However, the 2019 campaign is well and truly different. The signals from major markets are worrying. Economies around the planet are suffering and the most expensive wines are assuredly luxury i.e. non-essential products.
But let’s not dramatize the situation! If there are no takers for the grands crus at the prices being asked, those prices will come down. It’s as simple as that. President Calvin Coolidge famously said “The business of America is business”. This is true of Bordeaux too, and a realistic response would occur in short order. While it would be humbling to have to go back and bring down prices, the region has seen numerous crises through the centuries and can cope quite well, I am sure.

So, while not exactly sitting on the edge of my seat, I am quite intrigued to see how the campaign will go this year. Care must nevertheless be taken not to misinterpret information and fall prey to fake news. For instance, while such and such a château may “come out” at a given price, that first tranche price may be just to test the water and involve only a small part of production. It could be totally misleading and unrepresentative. By the same token, you may hear, as I have, that the cellars in Bordeaux are bursting at the seams with unsold wine. This, too, must be taken with a grain of salt because the situation varies enormously among hundreds of châteaux. So, no pontification, please.
In any event, few critics’ scores will be trustworthy in my opinion for the reasons outlined above. So the parameters for setting prices may well change. Those rare critics who have travelled to Bordeaux and tasted across the board will undoubtedly have greater influence.

I wrote this text on the 27th of May in the morning and by late afternoon I had received my first offer to buy wines from the 2019 vintage: Arsac, Beaumot, Lannessan, and Tertre Roteboeuf.
When will the big guns come out? Your guess is as good as mine…
2020 is decidedly a very atypical year for Bordeaux – as it is for the rest of the world.

Bset regards,
Alex R.

greatbxfreak · Post by **greatbxfreak** » Thu May 28, 2020 3:59 pm

Alex,

You haven't seen Pontet Canet 2019 coming out 31% down on 2018!

450 people at one place tasting, have a nice fight and a lot of odours like perfumes, deodorants and sweat.

I'm tasting perfectly at home in pleasant surroundings.

Barrel samples of Bordeaux wines are tougher cookies than you ever thought. They can keep for several days without oxidation, most of these, and keep the same quality. I did some experiments in recent days.

Denmark's borders are still closed so I can't travel out for the moment. Nearest town to taste would be Brussels but UGCB have to cover my expenses

AlexR · Post by **AlexR** » Thu May 28, 2020 4:12 pm

Izak,

Yes, I did see that about Pontet Canet, and that is very good news.

There was an interview with Ronan Laborde yesterday.
He was asked "In light of th'e situation, shouldn't prices logically come down"
He replied:
"Yes, unfortunately; We are going to have to tighten our belts and pricing will have to adapt to the market. There are no inflationist tendencies whatsoever and any goods that can be construed as luxuries should cost less. It should therefore come as not surprise that prices are oriented downward. This may well mean that the 2019 great growths are the deal of the decade, with superb wines costing less because of the unusual situation".

In fact, the 450 or 500 people will not be tasting altogether.

For what it's worth, here's the full interview with Ronan,
Alex

===========================================================

Jean-Pierre Stahl : « Bonjour Ronan Laborde, comment ça va, il paraît que vous organisez les primeurs la semaine prochaine ? »
Ronan Laborde : « Oui ça prend forme, on a plusieurs étapes. Ce sont des formats intimistes et privés où les professionnels se sont enregistrés au préalable. On commence la semaine prochaine à Bordeaux, c’est ouvert aux professionnels courtiers et négociants de la place de Bordeaux…
500 personnes vont pouvoir découvrir, déguster le millésime 2019 à travers des sessions intimes de 5 à 8 personnes, accompagnées de 2 serveur les 4 et 5 juin à Bordeaux », Ronan Laborde président de l’UGCB
« On a précisé un cadre assez strict avec le bureau Veritas pour éviter le risque de contamination ».
JPS : « Je crois savoir que vous allez organiser d’autres dégustations ailleurs sur la planète »
Ronan Laborde : « D’abord, on a collecté des échantillons auprès des producteurs qui ont été envoyés aux critiques et prescripteurs comme le Wine Spectateur, le Wine Advocate, James Suckling ou encore Décanter. C’est en cours d’envoi, ils vont pouvoir perfectionner leur rapport sur le 2019 dans 15 jours ».
« Par ailleurs, on a 8 autres villes Paris, Bruxelles, Zurich, Franckfort, Hong-Kong, Shangai, Tokyo et Singapoure, où entre le 22 et le 29 juin, des petits groupes de journalistes locaux et importateurs de ces pays vont être invités à déguster. On a 3 autres villes pour lesquelles on doit aménager ces dégustations un peu plus tard Londres, New-York et San Francisco, soit parce qu’il y a encore le confinement ou si elles sont en déconfinement cela ne permet pas d’organiser des sessions ».
« Il y a des dizaines de distributeurs qui vont recevoir un set de dégustation de l’ensemble des châteaux de l’Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux: entre 115 et 120 sur les 134 de nos membres se sont inscrits pour envoyer ce set ».
JPS : « D’habitude la semaine des primeurs à Bordeaux rassemblait 5000 à 6000 personnes, là c’est un contexte particulier, combien au total ? »
Ronan Laborde : « Bonne question, pour l’instant nous n’avons pas de chiffres à communiquer. A Bordeaux, c’est clos. L’an dernier nous avions 520 personnes, là 448 inscrits, il n’y a pas une grosse différence. A l’étranger, on ne sait pas comment les gens vont répondre. On dévoile les dates à nos membres aujourd’hui et on lance aussi aujourd’hui les invitations, les gens ont quelques jours pour s’inscrire et s’organiser. «
JPS : »J’imagine il y a une grosse attente sur le 2019 ? »
Ronan Laborde : « Oui, surtout depuis que la petite musique dit que les choses se précisent et qu’une campagne s’annonce. On a beaucoup de demandes. Encore ce matin, avant 10h, j’ai du rédiger 3 mails pour répondre à des Bordelais qu’ils ne pourraient pas venir à la dégustation la semaine prochaine. Néanmoins, les propriétés et châteaux sont ouverts, y compris à Clinet, certains l’ont déjà fait. »
JPS : « Alors comment s’annonce ce 2019 ? »
Ronan Laborde : « Comme on l’avait déjà dit, on a eu une bonne floraison, un été plutôt chaud et très sec, des pluies en septembre juste ce qu’il fallait pour parfaire la maturité:
Nous avons des blancs secs éclatants, un millésime solaire sur les vins rouges, avec de belles couleurs et concentrations, des tanins voluptueux, même s’il y a un certain degré d’alcool, il y a de la fraîcheur et une belle précision. »
Pour les liquoreux, le millésime est bon mais les volumes sont à la baisse du fait de l’arrière saison. »
JPS : « Et les prix, ils devraient logiquement baisser ? »
Ronan Laborde : « Oui, malheureusement, on s’attend à se serrer la ceinture, les prix s’adaptent au contexte, il n’y a rien d’inflationniste aujourd’hui et tout ce qui touche au luxe est amené à subir aujourd’hui une déflation. Ce ne sera pas une surprise si aujourd’hui les prix sont à la baisse, cela risque même d’être l’affaire de la décennie: de superbes vins avec des prix en baisse. «

marcs · Post by **marcs** » Thu May 28, 2020 5:32 pm

AlexR wrote: I wrote this text on the 27th of May in the morning and by late afternoon I had received my first offer to buy wines from the 2019 vintage: Arsac, Beaumot, Lannessan, and Tertre Roteboeuf.
When will the big guns come out? Your guess is as good as mine…
2020 is decidedly a very atypical year for Bordeaux – as it is for the rest of the world.

Bset regards,
Alex R.

I'd call Tertre Roteboeuf a big gun...what was their price?

AlexR · Post by **AlexR** » Thu May 28, 2020 5:47 pm

Sorry do not know the trade price of Tertre Roteboeuf.

The retail price, with Caves Legrand in Paris, for instance, is 1,176 euros for a case of 12.
However, this may be higher even significantly higher than competitors.

If I did know the trade price, it would be ex cellars, exclusive of transport, duty, tax, and intermediary (négociant, importer, distributor, retailer) profit margin, and therefore not of much help.

Alex R.

Musigny 151 · Post by **Musigny 151** » Thu May 28, 2020 7:58 pm

greatbxfreak wrote:Alex,

You haven't seen Pontet Canet 2019 coming out 31% down on 2018!

450 people at one place tasting, have a nice fight and a lot of odours like perfumes, deodorants and sweat.

I'm tasting perfectly at home in pleasant surroundings.

Barrel samples of Bordeaux wines are tougher cookies than you ever thought. They can keep for several days without oxidation, most of these, and keep the same quality. I did some experiments in recent days.

Denmark's borders are still closed so I can't travel out for the moment. Nearest town to taste would be Brussels but UGCB have to cover my expenses

I am missing something. Why should the UGC pay your expenses to taste the wines? Don’t you or publication pay for you to go Bordeaux? Why should going to Brussels be any different?

greatbxfreak · Post by **greatbxfreak** » Thu May 28, 2020 8:26 pm

Mark,

I always pay my own money for coming and staying in Bordeaux. Have done that since 1984.

I'm not a publication - it's a hobby and running my website costs money too.

And access to my website is free of charge of everybody opposite many other wine websites.

AKR · Post by **AKR** » Thu May 28, 2020 8:30 pm

All I can say is that I reiterate my warning

http://www.bordeauxwineenthusiasts.com/ ... 00&p=82719

The environment for the end customers is even more fraught today, in terms of the risk they have with retailers going belly up.

Maybe the negociants/trade can risk their capital buying today.

I think its crazy for Joe Retail to wear that risk.

Heck retail punters can't even get wines delivered legit from big places like TW if its 'inconvenient' for the seller whether due to tarriffs or a 100 pt score from someone's cat.

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Thu May 28, 2020 8:56 pm

We all learned a lesson of sorts from Premier Cru about the risks of prearrivals. I for one am buying much less wine at present in part because shipping season is over and there seems a real risk that (many?) wine retailers could go bankrupt before the cool weather returns in late October. If enough consumers think the same way as I and hold off purchasing, it could be self fulfilling prophecy.

I suppose big operations like K&L are in good shape to weather the downturn, but there are so many well-known wine retailers that are actually quite small operations and probably have very thin margins. And in the last year or so, many of these shops have started offering prearrivals for 6 and 12 bottle lots on a scale I’ve not seen before (with most having the asterisk attached warning of possible tariffs changing the final prices). The logic for the wine shop is compelling with these prearrival deals — the customer, not the shop, provides the capital and assumes the risk — but I can imagine many more consumers with real exposure now. Have any wine retailers gone belly up yet?

And of course, these risks are that much greater for futures when you’re waiting 2-3 years for delivery.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Thu May 28, 2020 9:33 pm

You can rely on the credit card company to take care of you when the retailer defaults. Heck, CitiBank MC refunded almost one half of my PC losses, which was around one fourth of the current retail price of the wines that were never delivered.

marcs · Post by **marcs** » Thu May 28, 2020 9:38 pm

So Pontet Canet comes out at less than $80/bottle -- like $77-79 depending on who offers. That's a decent deal, I suspect they will get takeup on that.

In terms of the risk of retailer bankruptcy, the bigger brick and mortar guys might have the highest risk to the degree that people are reluctant to shop in person. The lead time on futures is so long (is it like 18 months?) and the economic uncertainties are significant over that time period. Still, it's not like people will stop drinking wine.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Thu May 28, 2020 9:39 pm

Speaking of which I got an email today from Mercure, finally!, that my credit card was being refunded....

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Thu May 28, 2020 9:39 pm

I'm going to race Gerry to the first growths when they come out in New Hampshire.

Chateau Vin · Post by **Chateau Vin** » Thu May 28, 2020 9:59 pm

Arv’s warning needs to be heeded. If buying EP, stick to big retailers like K&L, McArthur’s, JJBuckley, HDH, et al...

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Thu May 28, 2020 11:17 pm

Gotta spend the refund from Bordeaux on Bordeaux, Jim.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Thu May 28, 2020 11:49 pm

aww was about to pull the trigger on a case of 11 Momtazi and 1 justice, at 15% discount.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Thu May 28, 2020 11:54 pm

Well, you intended to buy the SI before getting the refund, so go ahead and buy the SI. The Mercure expenditure was already made for Bordeaux, and you are not really spending anything when you transfer one Bordeaux purchase for another one.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Thu May 28, 2020 11:57 pm

now you are thinking...

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Fri May 29, 2020 3:58 am

Stefan once again demonstrating mathematical prowess worthy of his namesake medal.

AlexR · Post by **AlexR** » Wed Jun 03, 2020 7:26 am

I see that Cos is out.

128 euros a bottle excluding VAT retail.

I suppose the other super 2nds and firsts will be not far behind.

What a strange campaign this is, with people buying wines no one (OK, almost no one) has tasted.

Makes you wonder about the whole circus.

Alex R.

greatbxfreak · Post by **greatbxfreak** » Wed Jun 03, 2020 1:45 pm

Alex, check your facts please before you write......

Cos - Suckling, Leve, Beck and I have tasted it!!

Pontet Canet - I haven't as PC has refused to send samples to me, neither did Canon/Rauzan Segla, La Lagune and Palmer. I guess both Suckling and Beck have tasted it.

Comte Flaneur · Post by **Comte Flaneur** » Wed Jun 03, 2020 2:49 pm

When are you publishing your notes Izak?

greatbxfreak · Post by **greatbxfreak** » Wed Jun 03, 2020 2:52 pm

Ian,

https://www.greatbordeauxwines.com/vintages/2019

More TNs/rating follow in coming days.

Comte Flaneur · Post by **Comte Flaneur** » Wed Jun 03, 2020 3:16 pm

Wow! Thanks Izak, looks like a smashing vintage, some big scores there.

Were the alcohol levels elevated - how does the alcohol compare to 2018?

I tried only one 2019 so far D’Issan and I was hooked straight away and the ABV was 13.4% - quite modest by today’s standards - the same as the 2016 D’Issan.

marcs · Post by **marcs** » Wed Jun 03, 2020 3:24 pm

AlexR wrote:I see that Cos is out.

128 euros a bottle excluding VAT retail.

I suppose the other super 2nds and firsts will be not far behind.

What a strange campaign this is, with people buying wines no one (OK, almost no one) has tasted.

Makes you wonder about the whole circus.

Alex R.

That is well above the current European shelf price on 2014 Cos which is an excellent wine and available in bottle right now with no futures uncertainty. If that is going to be the kind of "bargain" available on the 2019 then I don't know how many takers there will be. Maybe they are just confident in their pricing power, they don't seem to pay a lot of attention to prices on current back vintage inventory.

Musigny 151 · Post by **Musigny 151** » Wed Jun 03, 2020 3:28 pm

The question becomes whether these tasting notes are as reliable as they would be in Bordeaux. I have had a serious number of poor samples even at UGC primeur tastings in Bordeaux, so one has to wonder whether we can take much stock on the wines tasted here. Samples have to be collected, moved to airports, go on flights, hit the arrivals, customs,, then be moved again to the journalist’s home and one hopes are tasted within 24 hours To avoid spoilage. That also means no time to settle after some pretty major traveling.

I commend the Bordelais for their efforts, and the journalists for the promptness of their notes, but worry that these are inherently unreliable for consumers making expensive decisions. I bought not on current notes but on reputation, and the wines I will take will purchase will be based on my take on previous vintages not on any tasting notes which may or may not be flawed.

greatbxfreak · Post by **greatbxfreak** » Wed Jun 03, 2020 3:39 pm

Ian,

Alcohol levels are more or less below 2018 and if they are high, then fruit masks it.

I am over a hundred tasted wines and still have to be knock-outed by one with high alcohol.

Many, many wines underwent gentle vinification and in some way I think this vintage is generally a bit lighter and less attacking than 2018, but tannins are so grained and sweet. Cos is just awesome and miles, miles away from the totally overdone 2009!!

2019 is maybe a modern-day 1959, a vintage with awesome sweetness of fruit. One of my favourite Bx vintages.

I believe I'll end with app. 350 tasted wines but from today I stop asking for more samples. It takes too much of my time.

Anyway, it succeeded for me to get 1 FGs sample today and I will try ZOOM to taste together with technical director in tomorrow.

Dandersson · Post by **Dandersson** » Wed Jun 03, 2020 3:45 pm

greatbxfreak wrote:Ian,

https://www.greatbordeauxwines.com/vintages/2019

More TNs/rating follow in coming days.

Thank you Izak! Very interesting read! Thank you for sharing and I am looking forward to tasting them down the road.

Best, Dan

greatbxfreak · Post by **greatbxfreak** » Wed Jun 03, 2020 3:48 pm

Mark,

You forget one thing:

1. You're tasting at 4-6 different venues a day In Bordeaux. With a little time to evaluate each wine. Jumping out and in the car. Not the same air condition at each venue. Risk of bumping in someone who won't move from the queue by the table. Deodorants and perfumes, people who didn't take a bath in the morning. I can come with more factors....

2. Not the same glasses at different venues, but the same at my home!

3. Same environment at my home!

4. At my home, I can go back to each wine every time I want.

5. 24 hours wait and then the sample is dead - this is a myth. Samples can generally keep for a much longer time.

6. I've just retasted for fun 35 GCC from Medoc which I tasted previous Sunday. With very few exceptions they are still alive and without a single sign of oxidation.

Musigny 151 · Post by **Musigny 151** » Wed Jun 03, 2020 4:03 pm

Interesting.
1. I cannot remember ever smelling arm pits or deodorants. Maybe I am just lucky. Temperature differences definitely, particularly at some of the chateaux. Bumping into people never a problem, we were sitting; the trade is standing so the risk is higher. My biggest problem were the people who insisted on talking at the tastings. So agree with you not perfect, but the wines are I am sure in better condition.

2. Same glasses In Bordeaux, some variant of the INAO, but substandard compared to Spiegelau or my current favorite Zalto.

3. I would be shocked if you hadn’t tasted off samples at the UGC tastings. One year, I think 2007, was particularly bad.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Wed Jun 03, 2020 4:17 pm

Just scanned through your notes, GBF, looks great.
I'll revisit later tonight. You've probably noted this somewhere, does it favor left bank or right bank, or both?

Comte Flaneur · Post by **Comte Flaneur** » Wed Jun 03, 2020 4:25 pm

For our 67 Pall Mall tastings we get sent wine samples in small bottle containers. Each sample is 72ml, then they top up the bottle with inert gas and seal it. It has worked so far, but they are only sending to UK and Europe. The samples generally arrived 48-72 hours in advance of the tasting. Tomorrow night’s Giscours arrived yesterday morning. I put the samples in the fridge for about an hour then pour about an hour in advance with a room temperature of at least 22C or 70F - that combo has worked as the wines open as they warm up. All wines so far have shown pretty well.

AlexR · Post by **AlexR** » Wed Jun 03, 2020 5:04 pm

Hi Musigny,

Musigny,
Yes, I agree with you that shipping samples abroad is not the ideal way to taste for the reasons you describe. Receiving samples in dribs and drabs cannot compare with evaluating fresh samples in their context. I’m not saying that doing the former is worthless, just unreliable and second best. The assumption that such tastings are completely valid is just wishful thinking based primarily on financial motives. It should never have happened that way.
What way should it have happened?
The tastings should simply have been held later than usual!!!
Izak,
We disagree on this subject, but it’s nothing personal. And I stand by my assertion that “almost no one has tasted 2009 Cos”. Only a very, very small number of people have, infinitely fewer than in a usual year. Jancis Robinson, the Wine Spectator and others have refused to taste samples. I, like them, feel that it is best to taste the 2019s under good conditions later on in the year rather than willy-nilly and in a patchy premature way. What the hell is this big rush all about? Is this a goddam race or something?
If you want to post your 2019 tasting notes, be my guest, and I’m not about to criticize you. However I do indeed criticize the Bordelais for jumping the gun and hoodwinking people. It was a bad decision in my opinion. You’ve gone along with it, but other noted critics have not. Maybe each side has valid arguments.

Other than our spat about this, I think it leads one to wonder about the role that wine critics actually play in en primeur sales. With so few notes, it seems that sales are actually based infinitely more on reputation than whatever critics have to say.

Best regards,
Alex R.

Musigny 151 · Post by **Musigny 151** » Wed Jun 03, 2020 6:17 pm

I assume we are talking 2019 Cos, not the unfortunate few who have tasted the 2009.

Cos is a weird property; it seems to have for me very little character, although with the exception of the aforementioned 2009, they make a decent pleasant wine. Nothing special, nothing to justify a $100 plus price tag.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Wed Jun 03, 2020 6:45 pm

I distinctly remember you pouring a VERY young 1996 Cos into a coffee pot in Boston, Musigny151, as i recall it benefitted greatly with the air.

Comte Flaneur · Post by **Comte Flaneur** » Wed Jun 03, 2020 7:06 pm

I find Cos ever so enigmatic wine. You never know which bottle is going to show up. Especially in 1980s vertical tastings there have been several winners on different occasions. I think it was a very good wine in the 80s but lost its way a bit after the mid 90s until the beginning of the 2010s, but back in form now?

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Wed Jun 03, 2020 7:08 pm

I like the 2014 Cos, but the 2014 Ducru is head and tails over it.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Wed Jun 03, 2020 7:43 pm

I always considered Cos the most idiosyncratic of the great Bordeaux wines. But then I have tasted only a few since the 1996 vintage and not drunk any of them at a meal.

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Wed Jun 03, 2020 9:32 pm

More data points: I sold my 02 Cos despite its great release pricing as it was just too modern and international for me to get excited about.

But I’ve really enjoyed the 95 and 96 in the past, though both needed another Blanquito or 3 when I last had them (over 5 years ago). And I thought Ian’s bottle of the 1990 Cos in Denver 2019 was top stuff.

brodway · Post by **brodway** » Thu Jun 04, 2020 1:32 am

95 points for the 2019 Sociando....if that gets released at $35 or thereabout would think should be superb value....