| St. Estephe Bordeaux Supercomplex, with Indian spices, violets and crushed berries. Full-bodied, with intense, silky tannins and a long, long finish. Best Cos since 1989. Score range: 95-100 Wine Spectator Jean-Guillaume Prats was not sure whether or not a small lot of Cabernet Franc would be added to the blend I tasted. Made from yields of 40-42 hectoliters per hectare, it presently is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot. A dense ruby/purple color is accompanied by scents of green peppers, spice, cedar, and minerals. The aromatics suggest considerable complexity as this wine ages, but the austere, earthy, tannic, compressed style is not for everybody. Medium-bodied and beautifully pure, this 2000 may always remain somewhat on the tough side because of an austere, abundantly tannic finish. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2020. Rated 88-91 Robert Parker Avec des minarets groupés sur ses coteaux, Etalant jusquau cieux ses fronts orientaux, Fier dêtre des nababs le suprême régal, Voilà Cos-dEstournel qui peut marcher légal De tous les plus grands crus classés de la Gironde Brillant dun vif éclat de gloire dans le monde. Biarnez, the poet of wines, was right to emphasize the worldwide reputation of the wines of château Cos-dEstournel. Indeed, every knowledgeable connoisseur is well acquainted with this label and the unique wine it represents, full of flavour and generosity, harmony of bouquet and well-balanced flavours. The crest of Garonne gravel which runs beside the road from Lafite to Cos is in itself admirable soil for planting a very great vineyard. There is never too much water in winter due to the steepness of the slope and the depth of the Eocene subsoil, yet the density of the pebbles compacted with sand retains sufficient humidity for even the hottest of summer days. We should also speak of the generations of cellar-masters and vintners who maintain the traditions and the prestige of this growth. All these elements helped by a well-advised sales policy, combine to achieve total success, provoking admiration from professionals and well-informed amateurs alike. Furthermore, the architecture of Cos-dEstournel is astonishing in itself with pinnacle turrets reminiscent of the time when the owner, Mr. dEstournel, shipped his wines out to India and Arabia. He used to bring back wild horses for breeding on the lush meadows which have always adjoined the vineyard. Sometimes he would keep a few barrels on board ship, not wanting to sell them and some chroniclers consider he was the promoter of the wine-style known as Return from the Indies . The estate covers 100 hectares of which 64 are planted to vines. Average production tops 250 tonneaux. |
