- CRITICAL REVIEWS
- WINEMAKER NOTES
JD
100
Jeb Dunnuck
Another magical wine from this property, the 2009 Château Cos D'Estournel reminds me slightly of the 2005 with its incredibly rich, powerful, opulent style married to stunning finesse and elegance. Still youthful yet with a touch of maturity, its deep ruby/plum color is followed by classic Saint-Estèphe notes of blackcurrants, dried tobacco, loamy earth, Asian spices, and licorice. Deep, full-bodied, and massive on the palate, it's flawlessly balanced and has building tannins hiding under its wealth of fruit, with no hard edges and a great, great finish. This tour de force is still 5-7 years away from maturity and is a legendary wine to follow over the coming 40-50 years. Tasting date: November 23, 2020. Drinking window: 2025-2070.
RP
100
Robert Parker Wine Advocate
Deep garnet colored, the 2009 Cos d'Estournel features a myriad of wonderfully intense notes, including blackcurrant pastilles, redcurrant jelly, kirsch and blueberry compote with hints of rose hip tea, sautéed herbs, underbrush, pencil shavings and Indian spices. Full-bodied, rich and opulently fruited in the mouth, it has beautifully plush tannins and fantastic freshness, finishing very long and very spicy. Reviewed by Lisa Perrotti-Brown. Issue date March 14, 2019. Drinking window 2020-2065.
Rated 100. One of the greatest young wines I have ever tasted, the monumental 2009 Cos d’Estournel has lived up to its pre-bottling potential. A remarkable effort from winemaking guru Jean-Guillaume Prats and owner Michel Reybier, this blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot (33%) and a touch of Cabernet Franc (2%) was cropped at 33 hectoliters per hectare. It boasts an inky/black/purple color along with an extraordinary bouquet of white flowers interwoven with blackberry and blueberry liqueur, incense, charcoal and graphite. The wine hits the palate with extraordinary purity, balance and intensity as well as perfect equilibrium, and a seamless integration of tannin, acidity, wood and alcohol. An iconic wine as well as a remarkable achievement, it is the greatest Cos d’Estournel ever produced. It is approachable enough at present that one could appreciate it with several hours of decanting, but it will not hit its prime for a decade, and should age effortlessly for a half century. Reviewed by Robert M. Parker. Jr. Issue date December 22, 2011. Drinking window 2022-2072.
V
91
Vinous
The 2009 Cos d’Estournel is exactly as I predict on the nose, almost overwhelming with over-ripe black plum, raisin, fig and black olive, smudged and lacking the precision and tension of the 2009 Montrose. The palate is sweet and cloying on the entry, hedonistic and voluminous, yet unequivocally bereft of tension and sense of terroir on the finish. Frankly, it is ageing exactly as I predicted when I first tasted it from barrel. Not my style yet still enjoyable. Tasted at BI Wines & Spirits' Ten Year On tasting. Reviewed by Neal Martin. Tasting date: February 2019. Drinking window: 2022-2040.
2009 Chateau Cos d'Estournel, Saint-Estephe, France
CABERNET SAUVIGNON: 65%
MERLOT: 33%
CABERNET FRANC: 2%
Still a bit shy, this pleasantly fresh vintage gets rounder, as the powerful fragrance steps back to let a vivid fruit appear. Black fruits on the nose, sleek tasting on the palate, tannic structure of a high density while retaining a fine-grain, make an opulent wine full of extravagance.
At the same time powerful and velvety, generous and fresh, it is a wine that does not leave people indifferent, a great and unique Cos d’Estournel. Extraordinary simply.