CHÂTEAU COS D'ESTOURNEL
1996 2ème Cru Classé Saint Estèphe
| Grapes | Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Merlot |
| Colour | Red |
| Origin | France, Bordeaux |
| District | Left Bank |
| Sub-district | Haut Médoc |
| Village | Saint Estèphe |
| Classification | 2ème Cru Classé |
| ABV | 13% |
This is black, completely opaque even to the edge. Classical fruit with pencil lead and even new shaved pencil wood dryness, spicy, firm and crisp, gorgeously taut and spicy. Tannic finish is firm, with some tannins verging on the coarse - it is going to be a great wine. L&S (Mar 2005)
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Tasted for a Decanter masterclass back in May, this is yet another wine this year that proves 1996 Médocs are totally on their game, and should not be ignored. For me this is one of the all-time best vintages of Cos, combining the gourmet truffle and cocoa bean welcome that this estate is known for with the powerful tannic frame of St Estephe, and ripe but still juicy cassis fruits. So much personality and pleasure on offer here. 65% new oak. Drinking range: 2021 - 2042 Rating: 98 Jane Anson, Decanter (Nov 2021)
The 1996 Cos d’Estournel has a fragrant, Pauillac-tinged bouquet with the melted tar and graphite leitmotifs that I remarked upon in previous encounters. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy-textured tannin. I feel that the 1996 shows a tad more maturity than a few months ago, with undergrowth and peat-like notes surfacing with aeration and then a dash of white pepper streaking across the finish. However, it evinces fine persistency and embraces the classic tropes of the 1996 vintages. Though not a top tier Cos d’Estournel, it remains an excellent Saint-Estèphe. Tasted at the Cos d’Estournel vertical at the property. Drinking range: 2018 - 2035 Rating: 93 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Oct 2018)
Another gorgeous wine has been produced at Cos d'Estournel. Normally, Cos is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot, but in 1996, largely because of the high quality of the Cabernet crop, the final blend was 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot. This is one 1996 where I noted a close resemblance to the château's 1986. This powerful, tannic wine exhibits a black-purple colour, gorgeously sweet, chewy, thick fruit, medium to full body, and 30+ seconds of length. Although backward, the wine is impressive because of its purity, richness, and overall size. I suspect the 1996 Cos d'Estournel, much like the aforementioned 1986, will require 8-10 years of cellaring; it should keep for 30-35 years. Proprietor Bruno Prats informed me that 66% of the crop made it into the final blend. Rating: 92-93 Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, www.RobertParker.com (Mar 2005)
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, Cabernet Franc, Merlot. 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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