TN: 1990 Cos d'Estournel

[Claret]

Decanted for 45 minutes while preparing and grilling the elk burgers with a roasted raspberry chipotle glaze. Nice aromatics of red cherry, cedar, charcoal and subtle spice. I did not sense any roasted fruits just good ripe fruit.

On the palate there was plenty of red cherries reminiscent of Luddens cough drops in a good way, cedar, earth and fine tannins along with perfect acidity. The medium body is a prelude to the medium long finish. This wine is on top of the plateau and should stay there for a while. I will drink my last bottle in the next one to two years.

I regret that my Cos stash is down to 4 or 5 bottles and current release prices have taken a big increase making additional purchaes unlikely. I have recently been buying from local stores going out of business, a casino liquidating a portion of their cellar and a steady stream of other closeout offers such as Havens Hudson Syrah, in addition to the few mailing lists that I buy regularly from. Oregon 2008 is another focus area, and I sprang for a case of JJ Prum Kabinett today on special, I am shocked that my favorite German estate JJ Prum is being dumped!

Glenn

[William P]

Hey Glenn, glad to see that you are finding a decent source of wine at discount prices. I don't have many cos either but I do enjoy this estate.

[Claret]

It is funny how this wine started to close down after 2 hours, but now has blossomed again. This Cos is a winner.

Yes Bill, there are some good deals to be had. I feel kind of guilty benefitting from others misfortunes, but hey if I don't, then someone else will. The Havens fiasco is really sad. I used to sell the brand, worked in the field one day with Katherine Havens, tasted at the winery twice and have some really good memories of Micheal, Katherine and their wines. I keep looking for the smoking deal on Bourriquot as part of my cellar plan for this year.

Glenn

[hautbrionlover]

I just opened a bottle of '90 Cos 10 days ago. I thought it was fabulous... a 95-pointer.
I had bought it a good 15 years ago at the recommendationof Bruno Prats, who told me how much he loved this vintage, and I am really glad I listened to him. Other than the '82, I'm not sure there's a Cos I like better (although that '86 is pretty darn terrific too).

[AlexR]

Interesting that the 1990 should be ready to drink now.
I don't have any, but if I did I'd have been tempted to hold on to it.
I'll be interested to read your notes on the remaining bottles!

All the best,
Alex R.

[JimHow]

Interesting how this wine has evolved.
I had it on New years eve 2000 in quebec and it was exotic, volatile and roasted.

NH has the 2006 cos for $86 (they had been selling it with a 15% discount on top of that at one point). That's why I get a kick when places like Zachy's advertize that it is such an incredible sale when they reduce the price to $125....

[stefan]

1990 is one of my favorite vintages of Cos, Glenn. Unfortunately, I am down to my last two bottles.

Alex, it seems that François has brainwashed you.

stefan

[JonB]

Nice notes, Glenn. Nice to see you enjoy your stash of older wines, as well as collecting some newer bargains.

[Comte Flaneur]

Thanks for the note Glenn, which is a timely update from my point of view. I am glad you didn't find it cooked ot stewed. Fortunately I still have half a case of this wine, which excelled in its youth. It 'won" a Cos vertical about ten years ago, though the 82 was out of sorts on that outing and can range from mediocre to brilliant.

After our 89 tasting I wish I had more of the 89 than the solitary bottle I have; that really was the revelation of the tasting.

Changing the subject slightly on 06s, and at the risk of thread drift...re Jim's comment on 06 Cos I found some GPL 06 a $38 a bottle, a wine which gets a brilliant write up including from the great man himself.

You can get it at the Wine Connection in Pound Ridge.

[JonoB]

For me Cos 90 is one of the few 90s that beats its 89 equivalent, and for me although debate may rage, from what I've tasted only LAngoa-B falls into the same category, although Leoville-B 90 is so similar to the 89 its hard to pick which is better... they are probably in equilibrium!

Regardless I have a gut feeling that 09/10 (if its good) will be the modern day equivalent of 89/90 but perhaps in reverse order.

[hautbrionlover]

^^I completely agree. No question in my mind that the '90 Cos is better than the '89.
By contrast, while I love the '90 Lynch Bages, the '89 is better (and with Pichon Lalande it is not even close).

[Claret]

I am in the general camp of preferring most 1989's over their 1990 counterpart. I have not had 89 Cos.

I do favor Montrose and Pape Clement in 1990, however 1989 Montrose is only about 1 measly point apart from the 1990. I am happy to own both.

Glenn

[JimHow]

I agree, Glenn, you, me and James Suckling like '89 better than '90... Although the '90 Cos is definitely better than the '89.

[Claret]

In a Cos vertical several years ago my two favorites were 1959 and 1982, I have a bottle on 1994 Cos on deck, which has been perplexing in the past, showing poorly in the vertical, yet was good a few years ago. Angelus is another that gets a slight nod in 1990.

Jim, I fondly recall my first taste of the 1989 Montrose from your bottle at a NYC offline. It was fantastic. There was another NYC offline years later with Arv and Emil et al, with the twin titans of 1989 and 1990 battling it out. Nearly a draw. That was a memorable night.

Glenn

[JimHow]

Yes I recall that night, Glenn, that was a great dinner. The '89 Montrose was brilliant that night.
I can still taste the finish of the 1990 Margaux we had that night, one of my all time epic wine experiences.

[Claret]

The Margaux was courtesy of Paul North. Chilled and wrapped in foil, it was brilliant as it unfolded.

Moving to Northern Nevada four and a half years ago was a good decison on my part, and I have few regrets about the move. I have had some good offlines in Sacramento with Bill and in Seattle with Jon. Just this week in Reno with some of the locals and a couple from Alaska who post on another board, we had a good event on a snowy Thursday, but I do miss the NYC offlines dearly.

Next year I am planning making a return visit to the East Coast and am looking forward to some good events.

[rjsussex]

I sold my couple of bottles years ago, more fool me - but then I did find the one bottle I drank rather too exotic and flamboyant and not Medoc-like compared to old-school Cos

Richard

[DavidG]

No complaints about '89s or '90s here - at least in general terms. If forced to choose, I'd say I've preferred a few more '90s to '89s, but it's splitting hairs.