CHÂTEAU COS D'ESTOURNEL
2003 2ème Cru Classé Saint Estèphe
| Grapes | Cab Sauv, Merlot, Cab Franc |
| Colour | Red |
| Origin | France, Bordeaux |
| Sub-district | Haut Médoc |
| Village | Saint Estèphe |
| Classification | 2ème Cru Classé |
| ABV | 13.5% |
2002 Cos is holding true to its promise, and the 2003 seems initially to be a small step down from the heights, since although obviously rich it is not as concentratedly exotic as the 2002. Then, in the mid-palate, the 2003 gets into its stride, with pencil-lead, a dense savoury dryness and a deep, intense, structured, fine purple flavour of ripe Cabernet in extreme youth. Huge length and purity. This is going to be a great Cos for those with the patience. A great 'intellectual' of a wine to compare with the sensuous exotic beauty of the 2002. L&S (Mar 2005)
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Harvest finished this year on September 25. The 2003 Cos d'Estournel is a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. It has a deep garnet-brick color and quite an herbal nose with notions of dried Mediterranean herbs and roasted meats over a core of crème de cassis, stewed plums and unsmoked cigars plus a touch of new leather. Full, rich, concentrated and decadent in the mouth, the palate, though medium-bodied, packs a wallop of fruit with plenty of earthy/savory accents and an herbal lift to the finish. Drinking range: 2018 - 2030 Rating: 93 Lisa Perrotti-Brown, RobertParker.com (Nov 2018)
The 2003 Cos d’Estournel revels in a vintage that shone in Saint-Estèphe. In some ways it is a prototype of the 2009 however, the 2003 feels more natural, more a product of the growing season than a premeditated crowd-pleaser like the 2009. It has that almost gregarious bouquet with plush raspberry ripple, vanilla pod, crème de cassis and pencil lead aromas. As I have noted previously, it has shed a lot of baby fat in recent years, less flamboyant than in its youth. What is so surprising is the delineation evident in this wine, something that it shares with the 2003 Montrose and a virtue denuded many other Left Bank 2003s, especially in the southern Médoc. Maybe at the moment the Montrose just has the edge but that should take nothing away from one of the best 2003s you will find. Tasted at the Cos d’Estournel vertical in London. Drinking range: 2020 - 2050 Rating: 96 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Oct 2018)
The 2003 Cos d’Estournel is a total knock out. Super-ripe and opulent from the outset, the 2003 is a big, ample Cos that takes over all the senses and never lets up. The bouquet alone – with its alluring notes of tobacco, cedar, spice, dark roasted fruits, leather and smoke – is stunning in its beauty. All of those nuances follow through on the palate, where the 2003 is thick, dense and concentrated. The 2003 is just beginning to enter the very early part of its optimal drinking window. Despite its very ripe feel, the 2003 needs further time in bottle to fully come together. Interestingly, the 2005 is quite a bit more expressive and rewarding to drink now. The 2003 is a superb Cos that captures the essence of this freakishly hot, record-setting vintage. Although the 2003 is the product of a very warm vintage, the wine was remarkably fresh, even two days after having been opened. In 2003 the blend is 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc. Drinking range: 2018 - 2033 Rating: 96 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Dec 2015)
Château Cos d'Estournel
Founded in 1811, Château Cos d'Estournel is almost as renowned for its spectacular pagoda architecture as for its intense, opulent and complex wines, marking it as one of the two the leading châteaux of Saint-Estèphe and classification as a second-growth.
The original owner, Louis Gaspard d'Estournel, travelled widely in Asia and set about building the impressive château we see today, drawing heavily on Oriental influences. Ever the showman, the doors of the château were imported from the Palace of Zanzibar. The property has had several owners and has belonged to Michel Reybier since 2000, who has invested substantially with a spectacular new cellar opening in 2008.
The 91 hectare estate is densely planted (8,000 to 10,000 vines per hectare) with 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot. On the border with Pauillac, Cos looks across the Jalle du Breuil at Château Lafite, Cos, from old the Gascon language meaning the hill of pebbles, suitably describes the terroir along with clay, gravel, sand and limestone soil. The vineyard is managed by teams and each team member is given 45,000 vines to look after.
A second wine - Les Pagodes de Cos - was introduced in 1994. A more recent, and controversial, innovation has been the introduction of a white Cos d'Estournel (80% Sauvignon Blanc, 20% Semillon) which comes from a vineyard further north near where their 'Goulée' Médoc is grown.
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RELATED PRODUCTS
2007 CHÂTEAU CALON SÉGUR 3ème Cru Classé Saint Estèphe
Bordeaux France 13% Red
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75% Cabernet Sauvignon. Good deep colour, spiced red and black fruit on the nose. Pure and mid-weight, an oakiness evident (100% new wood) which is very different to the high-toast flashiness on Cos, but just as attracti...(read more)
L&S
2019 CHÂTEAU LILIAN LADOUYS Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel Saint Estèphe
Right Bank Bordeaux France 13% Red
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc. Half-bottles
The 2019 Lilian Ladouys offers ripe red berry fruit laced with pencil shavings and tobacco on the nose, but it feels just a little one-dimensional. The palate is better with ripe tannins, plenty of crisp black fruit, cha...(read more)
Neal Martin, www.vinous.comORDER COLLECT
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